It is said that money meant little to Albert Einstein. When he joined the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, the salary he requested was so low that officials had to double it to preserve the Institute's standards. It is reported he once used a $1500.00 check from the Rockefeller Foundation as a bookmark, then lost the book. The Foundation's records were out of kilter for months. When they finally sent a duplicate check, Einstein wrote back, "What's this for?"

Someone has written: "Dug from the mountain side, and washed in the glen. Servant am I, or master of men. Steal me, I curse you. Earn me, I bless you. Grasp me, and hoard me, a friend shall possess you. Lie for me. Die for me. Covet me. Take me. Angel and devil, I am what you make me." The Bible doesn't say that money is evil, but it does say that the "love of money" is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

The more prosperous we are, the greater the temptation. The apostle Paul warned: "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Timothy 6:10). He further advised Timothy: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

Jesus had much to say about the dangers of wealth and materialism (Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12:13-21). He asked: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Wealth is not something to be hoarded. It is to be shared.

We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The poorest among us fare far better than most of the world's population. We are rich. May God help us to use these blessings in ways that benefit others, and bring honor to him.