We acknowledge that money matters and that we are accountable to God for the ways we use or misuse it. Yet we also acknowledge that it’s only money, that it is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. And the harsh reality is that we can be mastered by our money by spending too much or too little, by thinking about it too often or too seldom.

Many years ago I had the opportunity to browse through the effects and archives of a man of great faith. This man served the Lord diligently throughout his lifetime and accomplished many great things for God’s cause. Like others before and after him, he determined he would not ask people to financially support his work but instead, prayerfully entrust it to the Lord and expect God to provide. This man was known for being free from the love of money—the love that, sadly, has harmed so many individuals and destroyed so many ministries.

But as I looked through his material, I noticed something interesting: He talked about money a lot. His letters and updates may never have directly requested donations, but they did seem at times to hint at it. He never directly asked, but he did seem to imply it. In fact, money often seemed to dominate his thoughts and his conversations. I don’t mean to say there is anything wrong or immoral about that or that this is any blot on his character. However, it did teach me that being free from the love of money is not the same as being free from obsessing about money. Money can dominate our thoughts and our hearts even if we do not idolize it.

It struck me that day that there are two different ways we can dishonor God in our relationship with money. And, strangely, they are almost complete opposites of one another.

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