1 Timothy 6:17 – Wealth?

1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Wealth sometimes gets a bad rap. It can be a tremendous tool for good, if it is driven by a belief that wealth is a blessing to be used to benefit others. When someone sits on their wealth and doesn’t put it to good use, then it becomes an evil.

If it is true that those living in the United States are the one percent of the world in terms of wealth, then we have a responsibility to use our wealth wisely and not horde it. I recognize that the wealth is not evenly distributed. The top one percent certainly have much more than the rest of us. But that doesn’t take away our responsibility to use our portion Biblically.

But no matter how little we may have, we can still get stuck in the trap of putting our hope in our wealth rather than in the LORD. Wealth is a tool, not the final outcome. A successful life is not one measured in net worth at time of death. Success is the amount that passed through us on its way to blessing the Kingdom.

It is easy to put our hope in our wealth. Money can bring many blessings. It can pay for life-giving vaccinations and treatments. It can provide clean water for a village. It can send someone to school or university.

Or wealth can sit there, gaining worldly value, but decreasingly valuable for eternity.

So, what are we to do with our wealth? Well, one thing we are supposed to do, besides being hilariously generous, is to enjoy the things we have. Notice that I didn’t say, enjoy the things we don’t yet have but wish we did! Too many followers of Jesus don’t know how to enjoy themselves. They are so fixated on this world, that they seem to not be able to have some fun.

If any group of people on the planet should know how to laugh and enjoy the abundance the LORD has provided, it should be Christians. Our sins are forgiven! We are being transformed! We have an eternal home in eternity! We have a message of reconciliation that the world desperately needs! And the list could go on and on.

Our Great God has so much more for us. He wants to use us to reach this world in desperate need of all the things we have. And when we share what we have, the fullness of the Gospel, then our lives become increasingly complete. Our joy increases and even more people see the fullness of the Gospel.