When it comes to Christianity and money, a verse that pops into your head may be that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:6-10). In his letter to Timothy, Paul warns this young Pastor to watch for this kind of desire within the body of Christ. The teaching is clear. As believers our contentment when it comes to money ought to be that we have enough food to eat and clothing to wear because the desire to be rich plunges believers into harmful desires, ruin and destruction. Paul warns that the craving to have mounds of wealth is the cause of many to wander from the faith.

So the sin is not having wealth, but rather craving wealth. The cause of ruin is not the ability to make money; rather it is the worship of money that derails someone who should be worshipping God.

This distinction is important.

Sometimes, wealthy people get a bad rap. We forget that having wealth does not disqualify faith. Rather the pursuit of wealth will. Remember that a rich man named Joseph was the one who gave our Lord a proper burial.

Being a successful business person is a gift. The rationale, wisdom and hard work it takes to earn lots of money is not sinful. Proverbs 13:22 says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is reserved for the righteous. God cares less about what you make and more about what you do with what you make.

The rich fool of Luke 12:20-21 was judged for his life’s work of accumulating wealth for himself instead of being rich toward God. So making lots of money is not the problem, it’s why you’re making money that matters. More specifically, who are you rich toward? Being rich toward Christ is a good thing! Christians pour their wealth into the Kingdom of God; missionaries go abroad, congregations build houses of worship, Pastors are supported to dedicate their time to the teaching of God’s Word all because of Christians who use their wealth toward God.

So, if you’re good at making a lot of money, you’re not less spiritual for doing so. You’d be less spiritual for not using it for Spiritual purposes. Use your gifts for God’s Kingdom. Be rich toward God. Make your wealth matter to God, not to you. After all, wealth is fleeting (Proverbs 23:5). I tell football players that God cares less about you winning and more about how you play the game. Whatever we do, whether in word or in deed, we do in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17). If you’re a Christian, you act like Jesus. If you make lots of money, use it like Jesus would.