World News Through the Third Lens: The Love of Money

Trustee: Man owes trust funds $2.2 million read the banner over a one column story on the front page of today's local paper. This blog is not being written to exploit or defame anyone. Decades ago my mother taught me, when looking at someone elses plight, rather than be judgmental, say, "There but for the grace of God go I." I will try to write in that spirit without watering down the truth. I will say that this incident strikes closer to home than most things I read from various news sources because I know many of the parties involved. Needless to say, the whole thing came as a shock.

There is no need to reiterate the number of transgressions that were reported in the article, nor to speculate beyond that which was reported. Rather I would like to use this as a launching pad into a brief look at God's Word. Some people have gone through the Gospels and have concluded that Jesus spoke more about money than He did about any other subject. I can't prove or disprove that, but I can assure you that God does have a lot to say about money.

Through the third lens of Scripture: The very first money Scripture that comes to mind is one that is often misquoted. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10a). Often times the word "love" is left out, incorrectly stating that money itself is a root of all kinds of evil. Money is neutral - it's man's affection for it that leads either to good or evil. The verse goes on to say: "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10b). So a poor man can be eager for money and live to rue the day he departed from ethics, morals, or even common sense in an attempt to get it. A rich man may succumb to a pattern described by the richest man ever, King Solomon, in these words: "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

I live in the southeastern part of Connecticut, where in the last 15 years, two of the largest casinos in the world have arisen out of the ashes of an industrial-military economy now only a shadow of its former self. During this period of time there have been many accounts of fiduciary accounts in the hands of lawyers and accountants being mishandled; trustees of the public treasuries caught embezzling funds, and non-profits being ripped off by their treasurers - often to feed or cover up a heavy involvement in gambling. I don't know whether today's reported incident has a gambling connection or not, but some of the money being held in trust for certain beneficiaries was loaned (without collateral) to a former chairman of the tribe which owns one of the afore mentioned casinos. Here's just one of many biblical warnings to those who seek to get rich quick (the desire which fuels the gambling industry): "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 28:20).

To bring this little blog to a conclusion, a trust account was created because one man worked hard and shrewdly, yet he went the way of all flesh and left his wealth to another. "For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others." (Psalm 49:10). A successful accountant was charged with managing the trust for the benefit of its beneficiaries. It appears that, although he was successful and wealthy in his own right, that the desire for more clouded his judgment and his ethics were tossed to the wind. "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:9).

I've learned some of my lessons the hard way, and I've learned some of them by sticking to God's Word. I've come to prefer the latter; so I pass this on to you, the reader, with hope that by following the Lord's instructions, you will be blessed. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19). And to those who have blown it, there is a word of encouragement: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).