In every aspect of life, money plays a pivotal role, from managing family finances and saving for significant purchases to fundraising for business ventures. Thus, understanding and positioning money accurately in our lives is crucial.
Money, often viewed through extremes of love and hate, holds neither the inherent beauty nor the dread many of us assign to it. Instead, it’s a form of potential energy, a key to opportunities, and a resource at our disposal. Money is a tool. It’s never something that can bring satisfaction in and of itself.
So, today I’d like to provide three tips for how to end your love-hate relationship with money. When you get free from the emotional hold of money, you are free to find and serve your life’s purposes.
“A wise man should have money in his head but not in his heart.” – Jonathan Swift
But first, what exactly is the love of money?
Understanding the Love of Money
The best definition I can provide is derived from the teachings of my faith. The love of money happens when someone puts money on a pedestal above more important things like God or their family.
1 Timothy 6:10, NKJV says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Loving money excessively, prioritizing it over essential aspects of life such as family, faith, and personal values…can mislead us. The love of money is closely related to the spirit of mammon, which Jesus rebuked in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The biblical meaning of mammon (mamōnas) is treasure or riches that are opposed to God. Strong’s Concordance defines mammon as “what is trusted in.”
If you trust in wealth and let money dictate your decisions, there might be a spirit of mammon in your life. Anyone can have a spirit of mammon, from billionaires to the poorest of the poor. It’s all about your heart posture and what you worship.
With that, let’s touch on the hate of money.
Addressing the Hate of Money
Conversely, demonizing money also has its pitfalls. Some view pursuing financial stability or wealth as morally wrong. The hate of money happens whenever someone turns money into a villain.
Often, this comes from a misunderstanding of verses like 1 Timothy 6:10– instead of “the love of money is the root of all evil”, they read it as “money is the root of all evil”.
The hate of money is closely related to a poverty mindset, and it can be extremely limiting. For example, if you don’t believe that God wants you to prosper, if you don’t believe that you are capable (or deserving) of wealth, you’ll never have faith in some of the bigger things He wants to give you.
This abundance isn’t for your gain; rather, it’s to expand His Kingdom on the earth.
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. It will give you the means for the satisfaction of your desires, but it will not provide you with desires.” – Ayn Rand
Balancing Your Relationship with Money: Three Key Tips
1. Purposeful Allocation of Money – View money as a tool for achieving your goals and fulfilling your desires. By assigning a clear purpose to every cent—whether for saving, investing, or spending—you ensure that your financial resources are working towards your life’s objectives, not merely accumulating out of habit or fear. Save with purpose. Spend with purpose. Money is a tool, use it to find your purpose and create the life you desire.
2. Aligning Budget with Values – Ensure that your spending habits reflect your core values and priorities. This alignment between your finances and your life’s goals is crucial for living authentically and making decisions that truly resonate with your personal and professional aspirations. Does your spending reflect your values and goals, or does it tell a different story? You can give plenty of justifications for your decisions, but the numbers won’t lie to you. Going forward, make your bank statement reflect your heart, not just your circumstances and fears.
“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” – James W. Frick.
3. Embracing Generosity – Recognize that your wealth is not solely for your benefit but serves a larger purpose. By adopting a generous mindset, you acknowledge that you are a steward of your financial resources. Generosity grounds us in this reality and releases any hold that money has on us. This approach not only liberates you from the grips of greed and fear but also aligns with the principle of using wealth to make a positive impact on the world and in the lives of others.
Final Thoughts
Money does not determine who you are, nor does it have any bearing on your identity. Why should having more or having less make you act like a different person? Live your life sincerely and learn to use money to sustain the lifestyle you need to live to be true to yourself.
By implementing these strategies, you can navigate your relationship with money from a place of balance and purpose. Money, then, becomes a tool to support your life’s missions rather than a source of stress or idolatry.
This balanced approach to finances encourages a healthier perspective on wealth, allowing you to use money as a means to achieve your true desires and contribute meaningfully to the world around you.
Book a consultation today and we’ll show you how.