Why is America So Sad?

(10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

In this passage of Scripture, Apostle Paul is instructing Timothy to teach people about the dangers of loving money more than God. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Jesus warns people that money has a god-like power to master them. When people make money their god, it ends up becoming a curse instead of a blessing. Remember, there is nothing evil about money. In fact, God wants His people to prosper financially so they can be a blessing to others. It is the love of money that becomes a root in people’s hearts leading to all kinds of evil and many griefs.

If money is supposed to make us secure and happy, why are we so sad as a nation?

According to a recent study by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, America may very well be the saddest nation in the world. Researchers found that 9.6 percent of Americans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder—the highest among 14 major nations polled. Those nations that scored better than the U.S. suffer from ongoing wars and rumors of war (Lebanon), vast unemployment (Mexico), and profound poverty (Nigeria).

In his Wall Street Journal article, "The Great Depression," Bret Stephens argues that perhaps America scores poorly as a nation because its population is generally comfortable and wealthy. Such luxuries allow that much more time for critically picking apart life situations and personal circumstances. Those who live in countries torn apart by varying social and economic issues have less time to fret over personal gain and ambition. They are simply too busy trying to survive.

So what could turn our sad nation around? The research shows that the citizens of the world's happier nations find a steady source of joy in their families, their religion, and their traditions.

I want to invite you to Every Nation Tallahassee this Sunday, October 14th, at 9am or 11am for the first sermon in our four week "Money Talks" series. Come discover what God says about money and what money says about us. Since money is something we all have to steward, and since money has a god-like power to control us, it is vital that we properly understand how to handle it.

Money Talks…what does it say about you? Hope to see you at ENT.