Rooted Principle - May 16, 2026

Transcript

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Welcome back to the Everyday Faith Podcast from East Side with today's Faith Rooted Principle. Hey there, welcome back. I'm Isaac Johnson. Today is May the 16th. I hope that you have a blessed Saturday. Today's principle is this measure your financial success by how much you do for others, and you'll never fall into the snare of covetousness. First Timothy, Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to Timothy, and he says this, but godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it's certain that we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment, let us therewith be content, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and in a many foolish and hurtful lust, which drown men in destruction and perdition, 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. You know, I believe money has destroyed many a man, or really the love of money, should I say. Robert Arthington lived in a single room in England in the eighteen hundreds, and he was known as a bit eccentric by some. He cooked for himself. He lived only the barest of on the barest of necessities, and he wore the same coat for seventeen years. Although he lived a simple life, he was actually a millionaire. When he died, his estate was a wort worth about five million dollars. Why then did he live so simple? So simply. Arthington lived frugally so that he could give generously. He gave large amounts of money to Christians' missions during his lifetime. He was willed and he willed his entire estate to the cause of missions upon his death. After his death a letter from a missionary was found in his belongings and it read Were I in England again, I would gladly live in one room, make the floor my bed, a box my chair, another my table, rather than the heathen should perish for the lack of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Wow. He said I would rather have nothing basically than people perish without the lack of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. You know, our society values how much a person has. God values, I believe, how much a person gives. When Jesus watched the people giving in the temple, he praised the widow who cast in just two mites, a fraction really of a penny is what that's amounted to. And because it represented it was a sacrifice for that lady. You know, money itself is not evil, but loving money leads to all kinds of evil. And the best protection that we can have against that evil and from that sorrow is uh to come from loving money, it's to cultivate a generous heart. Look for opportunities to use the resources that God has given you to benefit other people. Again, the verse there that we just read just a moment ago, godliness with contentment is great gain. We can't take anything with us, is what uh Paul's telling Timothy. And so let's use what we have to the furtherance of the gospel. Measure your financial success by how much you do for others, and you'll never fall into the snare of covetousness. Thanks for joining us for today's rooted principle, right here on the Everyday Faith Podcast. If today's conversation has encouraged you, be sure to share it with someone who might need it. And don't forget to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. We'll see you next time, right here on the Everyday Faith Podcast.