Back in 1979, in my first year at Monash University, I recall my economics lecturer, Professor Richard Snape, opening his first lecture by saying that money is not the root of all evil. He pointed out that the Bible stated: “the love of money is the root of all evil”- not money per se.

Of course, Snape was right. The Bible doesn’t condemn money. In fact, Jesus taught a lot about money (some say about one-third of his teachings touched on monetary topics). He showed how the widow used her two mites well (Mark 12:41-44). He encouraged everyone to pay their taxes (Mark 12:17). In fact, in a number of instances, financial blessing is attributed as coming from God (Job 42:12).

Nevertheless, one of the big challenges for Christians today is our attitude towards money. The problem isn’t money per se. It’s how we look at it. Do we see it primarily as an instrument (or medium of exchange, to give its technical term) for us to give, buy, sell and save? Or do we see it as something more – a desirable treasure worth pursuing in its own right?

Our attitude towards money is influenced by the way our society views employment, business, competition, economic growth and all that. From young, we’re taught that we’ve got to aim high and compete to get ahead. For many, money is a measure of achievement. If the average weekly wage in Australia is around $60,000. and the head of BHP Billiton, Marius Kloppers, has a total remuneration package of about $12 million (including a base salary of $2.3 million), for many people it’s obvious who’s the high achiever. Kloppers earns 200 times the average weekly wage; or, to put it in another way, he earns in about 9 hours what others earn in a year.

When we see money in this worldly way, it’s easy to lose sight of the biblical teaching that helps to keep money in perspective. To avoid greed and the inordinate desire for money, the Bible teaches the twin concepts of ‘godliness with contentment’ (I Timothy 6:6). Paul taught that we shouldn’t want to be rich. He’s not saying that we shouldn’t to want to do our job well, improve our skills, expand our business, etc. But the goal of all this shouldn’t be so that we can get rich. Instead, the goal of all this should be to serve God and the people around us.

If we can keep ‘godliness with contentment’ in the forefront of our minds, this will help us keep materialism at bay. It’ll also help control the strong urge towards excessive consumption, overwork and unhealthy overachievement. It’ll mean that our ambitions are where they ought to be: loving God and serving people – instead of loving money and serving self.