A wise pastor once said, “If you want to discover what motivates a person, look at their checkbook.” That truth was shared with me years ago before online banking and financial apps became widely available. The same principle holds true today, as many are using alternative methods to send and receive money. Whatever method we employ, our financial record is an indicator of the quality of our faith.

In Paul’s final chapter of 1 Timothy, he devotes a great deal of time to discussing finances. He just finished addressing people in the Church who make “a show of godliness as a way to become wealthy” (I Timothy 6:5).

Paul continued, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So, if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content” (vs. 6-8).

That same pastor also said one of the most powerful expressions of our faith is to contend with the issues of this life with contentment. We have been called to a place of contentment in the Lord and not trade that contentment for ungodly motivators that will lead us astray into greed and hoarding what the Lord had given to us.

Paul then addressed what is at the root of all kinds of evil in this world, “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (vs. 9-10).

The phrase “the love of money” has been defined as a form of greed and avarice. The words forming that phrase have only been used once in the New Testament and carry great significance.

As Paul reminded Timothy about finances, he said, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this, they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life” (vs. 17-19). Without doing this, we will never experience what an authentic life of faith looks like. Paul’s words remain true today as we steward our finances, aligning them with God’s heart.

How we manage our finances is a testament to whether we are genuinely content with the Lord or have given our finances over to the spirit of greed. Only when the Lord directs our finances can we contend with contentment, expressing an authentic life of faith.