Boyce Mouton
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Letter 563English

Letters From Grandpa #563

Boyce Mouton · 2 pages · 939 words

  • LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
  • 563

Dearest grandchild,

Today’s letter will be about the danger of loving money. Paul told Timothy that real contentment comes from godliness and not money: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Please note that money is not evil! It is the “love of money” that is the root of all kinds of evil. Jesus reduced all arguments about money with this simple dichotomy: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) If we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness then God will see to it that we have all the earthly wealth we need (Matthew 6:33). Remember! “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.” (Proverbs 11:28) Please don’t put your trust in money!

Someone has observed that money is a good servant, but a poor master!

  • The Scriptures are clear: “You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)
  • Job was rich and was considered “the greatest man among all the people of the east.” (Job 1:3) Thankfully Job used his money to rescue the poor and the fatherless, he used his money to make the widow’s heart sing and to give guidance to the blind, feet to the lame, and to be a father to the needy (Job 29:12-17).
  • The widow of Zarephath was a poor woman on the verge of starvation but she courageously shared her last food to Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17:9-16). God miraculously sustained her and her son for the next 3 ½ years until the famine was over.
  • God prompted Mary, Joanna, Susanna, and many other women to support Jesus and his disciples from their own means (Luke 8:1-3).
  • The Good Samaritan went out of his way to be generous with a stranger in need and Jesus said: “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)
  • Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who used his own new tomb to bury Jesus (Matthew 27:57-60).
  • Another man named Joseph was a Levite from Cyprus. He sold a field and gave that money to the apostles. Because of his generosity that called him “Barnabas” which means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36-37)
  • Dorcas was a widow who was always doing good and helping the poor (Acts 9:36). Perhaps this is why God sent Peter to raise her from the dead.
  • Mary, the mother of John Mark, was wealthy enough to have a large house and also a servant girl named Rhoda. She was not selfish, however, and chose to use her home as a place of prayer for the church (Acts 12:12-19).
  • Lydia was a rich business woman who generously used her money to provide hospitality for Paul and his companions (Acts 16:15).
  • Paul gave this reason to work and make money: “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)
  • On Judgment Day Jesus will say to the saved: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:34-36)

One day while Jesus was teaching “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)

I love you! Please be rich toward God!

Grandpa Boyce