“Too often, scraping together and heaping up riches debases the mind, destroys godly traits and endues with selfishness, pride and avarice which ends in perdition.” The above is Dake’s comment on 1 Tim.6:9-10.

Reading again the same chapter verses 6-7, makes it clear to us the need to be satisfied with what we have and emphasizes that just as we came into the world naked, so we will return without any of these worldly materials, when our life here is over.

In the book of Haggai 2:8 we read that silver and gold belong to God. It is high time Christians realized that the love of money can be a tool of the devil. Without this realization, there will continue to be biting and devouring of one another even in the same home which may result in disaster if prayerful solution is not sought before it is too late.

 

I would like to consider this topic from the following points of view: The influence of money as it affects:-

  1. Non-Christian couple
  2. The unequally yoked couple
  3. The Christian couple
  4. Other possible ones

 

There was once a dialogue between two women secretaries, they were gossiping about another one who is a Christian:

 

Mrs. A–“Do you know your friend is so foolish? This their S.U. has made her so mad you  

                  know! How can Christianity make one so stupid as to keep joint account with a  

                  man (husband)?

Mrs B- “Explain what you mean clearly: do you mean there are still such people in the

                world today with the modern trend of civilization? God forbid, I know Baba Olu   

                will never mention such to me, even though we love ourselves, not in money 

                 matter, everybody with his own purse. I don’t know his salary neither does he  

                 bother about knowing mine.”

Mrs. A – “The gods will never let wisdom knock at the door of fools talk less of wisdom  

                 staying with them! They have sold themselves to foolishness which they call

                 religion…”

The discussion continued, but I should not continue to engage my ears with such reckless assault unleashed on fellow human being especially a colleague. Of course this is not unexpected from somebody whose god is the prince of this world, the devil. There is a Yoruba adage concerning cripples: “won ni amukun eru re wo, o ni ati ile lo ti wo wa” meaning: “Mr. Cripple, don’t you see your load is not straight up.” He replied, “Look at my legs they are all bent, so the bending of the load is not just up.” The case of the above secretaries is that of unregenerated lives.  It takes a regenerated woman to have full confidence in her husband and vice-versa.

The foregoing record is an expected observation in homes of unbelieving couples and the unequally yoked. Unfortunately there are several occasions which have proved disturbing enough even in Christian homes either because of poor planning or lack of understanding between the couple, or for several other reasons which may range from erratic decision resulting from uncontrolled emotions to unresisted submission to pressure and some other causes as analysed below.

(A)    MONTHLY SALARY:

Some days ago two Christian brothers were discussing ‘financial matter in the home.’ One of them was wondering whether anything was wrong in joint account between a Christian couple. The other warned him strictly saying, “Bro, the day you allow your wife to know your salary or financial strength from that day you lose your pride of being a husband in the home!!!

Brethren, to shorten the story, the case above is a REAL occurrence, but it ought not to be so. It is because the old man (i.e. the nature of sin) is still ruling, hence the brother was holding to his Ego so much- the pride of life. The Bible warns us in I John 2: 15-17 not to love the world or the things in the world etc. and the pride of life…they will all pass away. Also husband should love his wife like his own flesh.