In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus gives the parable of the rich man who set aside plenty of food to last him for years, yet found himself standing before God that same night. Many times, I have read this and wondered just what the Savior had against food storage (and after all, aren’t we supposed to be storing food?). Only recently have I come to realize that the problem was not from the act of storing plenty but from the attitude.
In verse 15, just prior to giving the parable, the Lord cautions against covetousness. I loved the footnote found that references Psalms 62:10: “if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Similarly, we have often heard that money is the root of all evil, but if you actually turn to the scriptures, we find this statement to be untrue; it is the love of money that is the root of all evil (see 1 Tim 6:10).
As I studied this week’s lesson, I found myself growing a bit concerned. Not that we are amassing wealth at present, but we are being very tight with every dollar as we seek to pay off debt. I confess that I look forward to the day when we have no debt but a mortgage, and even then, I look forward to dumping that. So of course, all of these scriptures talking about money have me worried.
However, the Lord wants us to be successful. He only wants us to be sure that we are not letting greed consume us. As I sat down to review whether or not I had fallen into this category, I decided that I was safe, because one of the things I am looking forward to doing is giving and helping others more than we are presently able to do. I would rather help a single struggling mom than Visa or Mastercard. Over Christmas, I was touched by the story of Larry Stewart, the “Secret Santa” who handed out over $1.3 million before his death in January. And when people shake their heads and wonder how we will be able to afford college and missions for “too many kids,” I think about how easy it will be to make monthly “mission payments” instead of mortgage payments – although I should be able to save up sufficient funds over the next fifteen years. I’ve also considered a “perpetual missionary fund” to pay not only for our family’s missions but also to anonymously help those in our branch or ward who desire to serve missions but struggle financially. In short, as I look forward to having more money when we have no debt, I also look forward to helping more.
The best remedy to covetousness, of course, is giving. I think this may well be one of the reason for tithing; when we get in the habit of giving to the Lord, it helps us release our hold on our money. As we continue to seek opportunities to give, we come to find more joy in the process. Money itself has no morality; it is our attitude towards money and “stuff” that affects our eternal progression.
Related Articles:
General Conference: “Look toward Eternity!”
Church Guidance for Family Finances