I opened a new savings account last month. My wife and I were looking for a safe way to save money. So, we opened an account with a bank that is FDIC insured. This means that the federal government guarantees that even if the bank fails, our money will be returned to us. So, we accepted the terms.
There is good reason to trust in a bank that is insured by the government. The U.S. is a wealthy, powerful nation that has the means to uphold their guarantees. However, that trust only goes so far. While I may be able to generally see my investment as secured, I should never be willing to bet my entire livelihood on it. As powerful as the United States is, it is as capable of failing as the banks it promises to uphold. In fact, the very money which I deposit is only as valuable as the public trust in the government that issues it.
Now, this article is not a critique of our financial system or an attempt to offer investment advice. I would be the last person you would want to ask for that! But, consider with me how much trust we put in the accumulation of money. We use money to purchase all of the things that we need. We buy food, water, shelter and healthcare with money. It is a vital part of our daily life. So, it’s a no-brainer that the more of it we have, the more secure we feel about our provisions. But, is money really such a safe place to rest our trust?
The Bible warns us that the love of money is a root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). When our lives become focused on growing wealth, we inevitably leave God on the sidelines. Jesus tells us that we “…cannot serve God and mammon,” which is wealth (Matt. 6:24). The more time you put into something, the more you become a servant to it. This grows to the point that money becomes an idol. Paul says in Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly to you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Are you more about “the hustle” or holiness?
Like any manmade god, money is incapable of trustworthiness. It tears, it fades, and it fluctuates in value. But the one true God is eternal and living, and He cares for you. In Habakkuk 2:18-20, the Lord said, “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, the molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it, to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Money doesn’t talk, but God has spoken that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6).