Whoever Loves Money Never Has Money Enough

The preacher observes that the love of money is insatiable. The more you have, the more you want. The more you earn, the more you spend. It's a treadmill that never stops. 'Whoever loves money never has enough.'

I grew up in a middle-class family that was obsessed with money - not from greed, but from fear of loss. My parents survived the Depression and a financial crisis, and they were always anxious about having enough. That anxiety transferred to me. I made good money and it was never enough. I was always worried.

This verse helped me see the pattern. The problem wasn't that I actually didn't have enough. The problem was that I loved money - loved the security it promised, loved the way it made me feel in control. As long as I loved money, I would never feel secure. I had to break that love affair. That's been a longer journey than I expected.