“Money is the root of all evil”—you’ve probably heard that line quoted hundreds of times. But did you know that’s not actually what Scripture says, and the difference matters more than you’d think.

Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 that it’s the love of money that’s a root of all kinds of evil, not money itself. Money is morally neutral. It’s a tool, a resource, a gift from God to be stewarded. But loving it, craving it, letting it become your security and identity, that’s where the danger lives.

Paul says those captivated by wealth “fall into temptation, into a snare,” and are eventually plunged into ruin and destruction. They are pulled away from the faith and pierce themselves and others with many pangs. Great evil can be done in the pursuit of money. This is what happens when money is master, when you love money and give your highest devotion to acquiring it and keeping it. And this is true whether you have a lot or a little.

So, the difference isn’t the size of your bank account. It’s who sits on the throne of your life while it grows. Wealth is only a blessing if it’s experienced and acquired under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Wealth received and maintained with open hands, used for Kingdom purposes, and submitted to Christ’s ownership becomes a genuine gift, one that blesses others as much as it blesses you.

So, do you hold money, or does money hold you? As Jesus said, you can’t serve two masters when it comes to Jesus and money. It’s one or the other. It can’t be both. So, guard your heart, and bow with whatever money you have before the throne of God.

Change begins in you!