The love of money is a root
of all kinds of evil.
—1 Timothy 6:10
In the fable of The Boy & the Filberts, the boy reached into a pitcher filled with filberts and grabbed such a fistful that he couldn’t withdraw his hand. He started crying.
“My boy,” said his mother, “be satisfied with half the nuts you have taken, and you will easily get your hand out.”
Greed is a callous master.
Preachers approach the topic with trepidation, for most, including the preacher, want more than they have. “Whoever loves money never has money enough” (Eccl 5:10).
Agur’s words give us pause: “Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal, and thus insult God’s holy name” (Prv 30:8–9).
How much is enough?