For the love of money

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10A, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (NIV)
We can see this acted out throughout people, culture and society. The emphasis would be all kinds, plural or many. There is not just one kind of evil perpetuated by the love, or lust, or greed of money. Many a soul has been sacrificed for material gain.
When people manufacture, distribute, bribe and kill to push drugs, and when innocents are collateral damage during these events, that is the love of money. When humans kidnap, enslave and traffic other humans for sexual subjugation or any other reason, that is the love of money. When some promote or participate in pornography, snuff films, and other similar debasing and degrading activities, that is for the love of money.
When otherwise proper citizens purposely cheat on their taxes so they can get an increased return, or they pad their timecards with overtime that is the love of money. When others steal cars, break into homes or shoplift, that is the love of money. When corporate insiders use that knowledge to unfairly invest or divest, or they set up Ponzi schemes against an unsuspecting public and people lose investments, savings and employment, that is for the love of money.
When students cheat on exams so they can get a better grade, and people lie on resumes and interviews to seek that kind of unearned advantage, that is for the love of money. When professionals such as lawyers, doctors, judges and lawmakers take bribes to advance an illegitimate interest, when sports teams turn a blind eye to active criminal behavior of their players, when there is a natural disaster and prices go up to the point of gouging, that is all relevant to the lust, or love of money.
When the entertainment industry puts out music, movies and programs purposely designed to appeal to baser human instincts, when social media divulges private information for paying data collectors, when you get a phone call saying you won the publishers sweepstakes and all you have to do is get an $800 money order and send to the caller, all scams and sellouts are for the love of money.
With all kinds of evil in the world, how much of it is rooted or originates because of greed? Like untested drugs, bad foods, or inferior unsafe products? The shortcuts around safety to get a job done on time and employees are hurt. The look the other way scenarios as quality control suffers so the assembly line gets its quota in on time.
All of these situations and many more like them are related indirectly or directly to the love of money that takes precedence over the law, human decency and common sense. There is nothing wrong with wanting to achieve more either in status, money or fame. But it should never be done at the expense of others, your integrity, breaking the law or violating your morality, ethics or the Word of God.
How many times have you or someone you know been ripped off or victimized by an unscrupulous person that just wanted to gain more money? From the seemingly small stuff like “someone didn’t pay me back for the lunch money they borrowed,” to the billions that are scammed through our local, state and federal governments each year via corruption.
The issue here is what people do in order to have material gain. It goes beyond the typical want, and transgresses over to lust, or the love of money that will betray, destroy and kill to have more. Being content in all things does not mean that you have to settle for the status quo or never aspire to have more; it means that you will maintain your honor, dignity and obedience to God while seeking advancement for material increase.
It means not compromising what is good in the eyes of God.
Matthew 19:24: “And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”