DEEP - Week 5
Day 2
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” - Ecclesiastes 5:10
Have we ever told ourselves, “If we could just make a little more, then we'd be okay”? The uncomfortable question is this: How much is “a little more”?
Usually, the number moves.
There is a common misconception about the deceitfulness of wealth: we assume only wealthy people can be deceived by it.
But Ecclesiastes says, “Whoever loves money.”
The issue is love, not income.
We don't have to possess money to be possessed by the pursuit of money.
A struggling family can make money an idol just as easily as a wealthy family can. We can fear losing what we have, or we can constantly fantasize about obtaining what we don't have.
Different bank accounts.
Same heart struggle.
The deception often begins with a sentence like this:
“If we had more, then…”
Let's finish that sentence honestly.
If we had more, then we would feel safe.
If we had more, then our marriage wouldn't be so stressed.
If we had more, then people would respect us.
If we had more, then we could finally relax.
If we had more, then we would be generous.
If we had more, then we would be happy.
Certainly, money can solve some real problems. Paying the mortgage matters. Buying groceries matters. Providing for our children matters. Getting out of destructive debt matters.
Scripture never asks us to pretend financial realities aren't real.
But money can solve a money problem without solving a heart problem.
That's where deception enters.
If we believe money will finally make us content, we'll discover that every increase can create a new definition of “enough.”
Yesterday's luxury becomes today's expectation.
What we once dreamed about eventually becomes normal. Then normal becomes necessary. Soon we need another increase to experience the same feeling.
Our current definition of “more” can easily become our future definition of “not enough.”
This is why contentment is such a powerful spiritual discipline.
Contentment doesn't mean refusing to grow, work hard, build a business, earn more, or improve our family's circumstances.
Contentment means our souls don't have to wait for those things before we can say, “God has been good to us.”
That changes a home.
Imagine our children growing up watching us celebrate someone else's success without envy.
Imagine our marriages being places where financial conversations are guided by stewardship instead of status.
Imagine earning more without automatically needing to spend more.
Imagine receiving an increase and asking, “God, what do You want to do through this?” before asking, “What can we upgrade?”
That is freedom.
Today, let's identify where the deceitfulness of wealth shows up personally.
Maybe we constantly compare.
Maybe we spend money to impress people.
Maybe financial fear dominates our thoughts.
Maybe we believe generosity is something we'll start “later.”
Maybe our lifestyles have expanded every time our incomes have expanded.
Or maybe money has become our measurement for whether God is being good to us.
We need to bring that into the light.
Jesus exposes idols because He wants to free us from them.
So today, whenever our hearts say, “If we just had…”, let's pay attention.
Then let's ask, “What are we expecting that thing to give us?”
Security?
Worth?
Peace?
Freedom?
Approval?
Happiness?
Money can be useful.
Money can be enjoyed.
Money can accomplish enormous good.
But money cannot be God.
We don't have to wait until we have more to become rich in what matters most.
We can trust God now.
We can obey now.
We can give now.
We can be grateful now.
And we can discover that a life anchored in Christ possesses something money has never been able to purchase:
Enough.
WATCH THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/live/6h_fWFvtWnw?si=rtwyqC3I2ZSSDcu3
