Simple Money, Rich Life: Money is a terrible master, but a great servant

Fire has been used as a tool for thousands of years. When it burns in a fireplace, it keeps us warm. On the wick of a candle, fire provides light. It can easily be controlled and used for good. But without the proper safety measures in place, it can cause tremendous amounts of harm.

In May 1962, a coal mine fire started in a small town called Centralia, Pennsylvania. It spread to mine tunnels, and because of the high carbon monoxide levels, all the local mines closed. Numerous attempts were made to put the fire out, but the narrow tunnels in multiple directions made it difficult and dangerous to access. So, the fire continued to grow. One newspaper reported described it like this:

“As the years went on, the ground beneath the city itself became hotter and hotter, reaching over 900 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations. Smoke poured from sinkholes and gas filled basements. Residents started to report health problems and homes began to tilt. “Even the dead cannot rest in peace,” wrote Greg Walter for People in 1981. “Graves in the town’s two cemeteries are believed to have dropped into the abyss of fire that rages below them.” Earlier that year, a 12-year-old boy fell into a sudden sinkhole created by the fire, barely escaping death.”

Ultimately, officials decided that further attempts at extinguishing the fire would be futile and that the best course of action would be to buy out the residents and then condemn all the houses and other buildings, thus creating a ghost town. Even today that coal mine fire still rages on hundreds of feet underground in Centralia. Experts expect it to continue for another hundred years.

By contrast, did you know that the average forest fire lasts only 37 days? So, why is it that the coal mine fire can burn uncontrollably for so long? What has made it nearly impossible to stop? There are a couple of key factors:

1. It’s difficult to access. Putting out any wildfire is a challenging task, but when you have access to the fire, it certainly helps. Coal mine fires that burn deep underground in narrow tunnels are very difficult to reach and extinguish.

2. Nearly unlimited fuel. Oftentimes the coal deposits in coal mines run deep and wide. This particular mine in Pennsylvania has seemingly endless deposits that will fuel the fire until all the coal is consumed.

Proverbs 27:20 CSB

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and people’s eyes are never satisfied.

There is never a limit to how much we desire.

As the story goes, when John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men to have ever walked the earth, was asked how much is enough, he was said to have responded in a way that accurately reflects this truth: “Just a little bit more.”

Money becomes dangerous when it’s not controlled and we let it settle into our hearts.

As Jonathan Swift puts it,

“A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.”Jonathan Swift

How do we keep money out of our hearts, though? How can we use it as a tool to glorify God and advance His Kingdom?

Matthew 6:24 CSB

24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

It’s true. If money is your god, then you’ll try to make God a servant of money. But the inverse is also true. When God truly is our master, then money will be our servant.

Mark 10:17–27 CSB

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

1. Pursuing Purpose, Missing Point

Mark 10:17-20

1. His Earnestness. “He came running.”

2. His Humility. “He kneeled to Him.”

3. His Important Request. “What shall I do?”

4. His Moral Goodness. “All these have I observed from my youth.”

It's like the difference between receiving a generic birthday card from someone who barely knows you, and getting a heartfelt, personalized note from your best friend. Religion can feel like a formal, distant obligation, while relationship is all about genuine connection and care.

2. Possessions or Passion for Christ

Mark 10:21-22

Looking at him is an intensified form of the verb, indicating close scrutiny. Only Mark states that Jesus loved him. The phrase you lack one thing shows that human efforts at perfect obedience cannot attain eternal life. The “one thing” involved divesting himself of his possessions and becoming a disciple

The one necessary thing he lacked was unrivaled allegiance to God, since wealth was his god (v. 22). He was devoted to it rather than God, thereby breaking the first commandment

So often we trust in our money to make our struggles disappear. But when we do, we put our faith in money, not our Provider.

John Piper says,

“You can’t trust in God and in money at the same time. Belief in one is unbelief in the other.” John Piper

Ask Yourself”

Where do you find Joy? God or possessions

Where do you find peace? God or possessions

Where do you find hope? God or possessions

Where do you find love? God or possessions

Where do you find contentment? God or possessions

3. Prioritizing the King's Kingdom

Mark 10:23-27

Making money the servant

I don’t think many of us choose to make money our master, but if we take an honest look at past decisions involving money, how often have we made decisions based solely on the financial implications rather than praying about it?

● “Should I accept this job offer? Of course, it pays more.”

● “I can’t possibly give that much, we won’t be able to afford ______”

● “I can’t afford to take a sabbath rest because we need the money”

As you know, our society has become obsessed with chasing more and more money. The world tells us to hustle and grind and do whatever it takes to get more money. And somewhere along the line, we bought into the lie that money is the goal, when what God intended all along was that it would simply be a tool to help us fulfill our purposes on earth.

It’s time to break our trust in money. The best way I know to let go of my trust in money is by giving— it’s an incredibly effective antidote.

Author Craig Hill

“money is [the people’s] servant . . . they do what they do to fulfill a calling given to them by God. Since God is the master, money becomes their servant, to fulfill God’s purpose and calling on their lives.” Craig Hill

Chasing money just to fulfill our own self-focused desires is a recipe for trouble. Instead, the mandate should be to maximize earnings for God’s purposes. For whatever He wants us to do with the increase.

How much you earn is not the issue

I often get the question, “Is making a lot of money wrong?” My answer is always the same: The amount of money someone earns isn’t the issue. What matters is the heart. Someone who lies and cheats to get ahead doesn’t automatically become honorable once she has more. On the other hand, a generous person who earns more doesn’t automatically become stingy and greedy. Money simply reveals and amplifies what is already within the heart of a person.

Author Mike Michalowicz puts it like this:

“Money amplifies your character. It is that simple. It allows you to repeat your ingrained habits easily. And unless you have developed a strong, humble character coupled with good habits, more and more money will become more and more of a problem.” Mike Michalowicz

For example, if you have a drug addiction (a bad habit) and you get tons of money you are likely to do more drugs. Money amplifies the bad habits. It amplifies the character. What about Mother Teresa? What happened when she got tons of money? She used it to serve more orphanages. She used it to amplify her good habits. Here too, money amplifies character. . . . It has no judgment. It just enables you to be more of who you already are.

While I don’t know your heart, God does and can help us get our hearts in the right place. So let’s close today with an honest prayer as we seek to get our hearts right with this issue.

God, like David, I ask that You would search me and know my heart and point out anything in me that offends You and that You would create in me a pure heart. I choose to affirm that You are the Lord and Master of my life and that money will be a servant to fulfill Your purposes and calling in my life. May my trust always be in You, regardless of how much or little money I have in my bank account. When times are lean and when there is an abundance, help me always be aware that You are the Provider of all my needs. May I be content with, thankful for, and aware of the blessings You’ve provided me. I pray that, like Paul, I would be able to learn the secret of being content in any situation. I pray that You would provide an abundance for every good work, and I ask for wisdom to steward what You have entrusted me with.

In Jesus’s name, Amen