Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6

Do you ever feel like the tentacles of a giant octopus are engulfing you, overwhelming you and you think you may drown?

Today I spoke with a physician about his desire to build a new home. We discussed how our culture defines the American Dream of a home, nice cars and the perfect family can drive us to obsession. Consider these words from Paul to Timothy –

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, or we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

Instead, in Hebrews 13 the author tells us, “keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

I think the last part of verse five and verse six holds the key. Where is my hope? Where do I place my trust?

Will a fatter paycheck make me happy? While I wouldn’t turn it way, I must be dependent on the Lord. He will never turn me away even if I lose my status or career. He is my Helper.

It is a hard lesson for most of us. Instead of clutching our 401K or this week’s paycheck, let us be generous and realize the source of all things.