One of the ways a believer develops the fruit of faithfulness is by being faithful with money—that which the Bible refers to as unrighteous mammon (Luke 16:11) and filthy lucre (1 Tim. 3:3).

There is an uncanny correlation between a person's faithfulness to God and his attitude toward money. Jesus said:

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
(Luke 16:11)

A person who maintains a scriptural attitude toward money is a person whom God can trust with the "true riches," which is spiritual prosperity.

There is no other substance on the face of the earth which alienates people's affections away from God more than money does. This is why Jesus said:

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
(Luke 16:13)

Notice He did not say, "You cannot serve God and football" (or any other interest or concern). He said, "You cannot serve God and money."

Being God, Jesus said this because He knew that money would be the main cause of separation between people and their Creator.

There are three ways money separates people's affections from God. The first way is in their thoughts.

It is amazing how much the subject of money occupies the minds of many believers. They constantly think such thoughts as: "How will the bills be paid?" "Where is the money coming from for us to live?" "If the cost of living keeps going up, how will we be able to make ends meet?"

Such thoughts continually flood the minds of countless otherwise faithful believers, preventing them from setting their affections totally on God.

Since money will play such an important role in these end times, believers must take the following words of Jesus seriously and develop the proper attitude toward money:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Matt. 6:33, 34)

The second way in which money separates people's affection from God is in their time. Our Lord taught His disciples:

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
(John 6:27)

One of the biggest snares of the enemy is to get believers working so much that, in essence, their time is spent working only for "filthy lucre" and not for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.

Time is very valuable to God, and since the only time that men possess is the present, it should be considered valuable by them as well. This is why the Apostle Paul admonishes us to redeem the time (Eph. 5:16).

The third way in which money separates people's affections from God is in their accumulation and possession of it:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
(2 Cor. 9:7)

When many believers hear teaching on giving, they enter into a "grudge match" with God. Admittedly, they will usually finally succumb and give, but they do so grudgingly.

Then they struggle with thoughts of regret and resentment for a week or two because they did break down and give. This is a clear indication that such people have great affection for money; and affection for money will alienate their affections away from God.

Money itself is not evil; the evil lies in the affection people have for it:

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(1 Tim. 6:10)

Too many believers have the attitude toward their money, "Ninety percent of it is mine to do with as I please." When God directs them to give more than the standard ten percent, they either give grudgingly, or not at all.

The problem is that they have affection for money. God cannot trust such people with the "true riches."

On the other hand, when God speaks to faithful believers' hearts asking them to give the tithe and even more, they respond eagerly and cheerfully because they have no real affection for money.

God will bestow the "true riches" upon anyone who gives with the attitude, "I'm always happy to give my money to the Lord; after all, it all belongs to Him anyhow."

Source: A Call for Character by Greg Zochak
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers