Desire for money often leads people astray

Q: My financial portfolio has taken a huge hit in recent months. I'm trying to keep a good perspective; after all, "money is the root of all evil," right? But I'm still struggling with the idea that everything I have leaned on for security is in jeopardy. Do you have any advice?Jim: First, let's correct that Biblical quote. The Apostle Paul actually said, "The love of money is a root of [much] evil." Money itself isn't bad – but our desire for it often leads us astray. In context, that sentence comes in the middle of a discussion of contentment which begins: "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy chapter 6).Contentment is the ability to say, "Enough is enough," whereas the love of money almost always translates into a quest for more and more. The more you have, the more you crave, and the more you fear that someone or something may take it away from you. That's why greed and anxiety are constant companions. Together they create a state of mind that's the exact opposite of being content. Contentment has been described as "looking back without regret, looking at the present without envy and looking to the future without fear."Contentment has everything to do with your relationships – with God and other people – and nothing to do with your money. In essence, it's recognizing that true security comes from connection with something bigger and longer lasting than a bank account. Once you're free from the love of money and the relentless pursuit of wealth, you can have a lot or a little and be content at the same time. That's the secret of satisfaction, sufficiency and inner peace. If you can see your life in this light and learn to embrace your situation, whatever it may be, with satisfaction and joy, then the richest man in the world has nothing on you. That's what the apostle means when he says that godliness with contentment is great gain.Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.