Do You Worry About Money? Jesus Has A Message For You…

a woman holding money reminds us that we shouldn't worry about money — Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Do You Worry About Money?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that we shouldn’t worry about food, drink or clothing. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who goes to church or reads the Bible. What often gets missed, however, is the reason that he launched into this message in the first place. He had something specific in mind. And, while it may surprise you, it’s something you need to know. When we worry (especially about certain things), it’s often a sign of a more serious problem.

Look At How He Begins

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)

Jesus opens his message on worry with the words, “Therefore I tell you”. This tells us that there is a reason why he feels motivated to discuss worry. Let’s back up one verse so we can discover the reason…

Let’s Back Up A Verse

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

Hmmm. The word “mammon” means wealth or treasure and is sometimes translated as “money”. Now, let’s put both verses together…

Putting It All Together

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”(Matthew 6:24-25)

Uh-oh. Now it makes sense. When we worry excessively about material things, it can mean that we’re worshiping the false gods of wealth and possessions.

Is It A Sin To Be Rich?

Is Jesus saying that it’s a sin to be rich? Not at all. Some believe that “money is the root of all evil”, but that’s not what the Bible says. According to Saint Paul:

For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Did you catch that? It’s not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money. I know many wealthy people who are extremely generous and remain detached from their possessions. I have also met some greedy and self-centered poor people.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that we need to be careful. Worrying too much about money and possessions could be a sign that we’re worshiping a false god. It’s wise to have savings and live frugally, we should never place our trust in a bank account. The Lord has to be our only true source of security.