By Dr Tony Evans
Most people think money is the secret to satisfaction. They think that happiness equates to how much money you’ve got at your disposal. But happiness has nothing to do with money. Money isn’t about solving your problems. In fact, sometimes our problems escalate as our money increases—not the other way around.
Money isn’t about to solve your problems.
That’s why Paul wrote: “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10)
There are so many things money can’t buy. Money can’t buy health. It can’t buy relational harmony. It can’t buy respect, honour, character or esteem. When things go south in any of those areas, if money is all you’ve got working for you, you’ll discover the actual value of money. You’ll learn that money isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s so much that matters more than how much money you have in your wallet or your bank account. But it’s very easy to forget that.
All the stuff in the world doesn’t amount to much if you are so broken, empty or alone that you cannot enjoy it, and you don’t have anyone with whom to share it.
As a result, people frequently spend their energy praying for stuff when God wants to give them more than stuff. He wants to give significance, strength, stability and identity. All the stuff in the world doesn’t amount to much if you are so broken, empty or alone that you cannot enjoy it, and you don’t have anyone with whom to share it. Stuff never made anyone smile the way that satisfaction, purpose and even service can. Our world focuses on stuff, while Jesus reminds us what matters most.
Our world focuses on stuff, while Jesus reminds us what matters most.
Tony Evans
Dr Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr Evans holds the honour of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.