The Pursuit of Money

Proverbs 1:10 – My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! (NIrV)

Proverbs 1:17-19 – If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. But these people [sinners] set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. (NIrV)

More likely than not, we have probably heard 1 Timothy 6:10 being misquoted at some point in time. It is usually misquoted as money is the root of all evil. The correct quotation is ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’. In Proverbs, we are given a stronger admonishment. Here, greediness for money is fatal. It is a trap we set for ourselves which will lead to our own death.

We have all heard stories of people who have pursued money aggressively and tragically lost their livelihoods, family, positions, reputation, faith, and in some extreme cases their own lives.

At the start of this section in Proverbs, the author speaks of enticement. We are exhorted to turn our back on sinners who might entice us because such people have set an ambush for themselves. We ought not to fall into the same trap. There is nothing wrong with money. It is greed and the love for money that might lead to our downfall. We must be alert and vigilant, as Peter teaches (1 Peter 5:8), to any enticement or allurement as we progress in our careers and our financial situations improve.

For some of us, this may seem obvious or nothing new. But as we read yesterday, the book of Proverbs was written to help us understand life’s stories and to add to what we have already learned. These verses are a reminder that whether we are rich or poor, an unhealthy pursuit or love of money can only lead to our downfall.