(Gratitude, stewardship, and abundance)

1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy [. Instruct them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.172

Part I

God The Provider

Making giving more fun

This passage creates a mindset that makes giving enjoyable. It does so, in part, by pointing to three facts.

  1. Everything we have was a gift. (A gratitude mindset leads to joyful giving.)
  2. It’s disappearing anyway. (A stewardship mindset leads to joyful giving.)
  3. There will be plenty more where that came from. (An abundance mindset leads to joyful giving.)

Each of these mindsets lead to joyful giving. And each starts from the same place: God is the one who richly supplies us with all things.

God, the up-close-and-personal provider

The rich person has wealth. The passage here describes the source of that wealth. It comes from God. Indeed, God supplies all things. The word for “supplies” here is parechonti. It’s the present participle active of parechō. One source describes it this way:

“paréchō (from pará, ‘from close-beside’ and échō, ‘have’) – properly, have close beside, i.e., give (offer) in a ‘up-close-and-personal’ way. Note the force of the prefix (para).”173

This uses the same “up-close-and-personal” prefix as in para-klētos, Holy Spirit. It’s also the same prefix used earlier in this passage. It’s used for the “up-close-and-personal” ministry relationship to the rich, para-angelle.

God is the one richly providing us with all things. This is not the word for a disconnected provider. It’s not for the one who just mails a check. As one translation puts it, this is God who

“takes care of us richly” (1 Timothy 6:17b).174

This is an up-close-and-personal relationship.

How “up close” are we talking here? Luke 6:29 uses the same word. It reads,

“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer [pareche] him the other also;”

That’s “up close!” Indeed, this word can be so “up close” as to be annoying. Luke 18:5 reads,

“yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.”

The phrase “bothers me” is, more literally, “gives [parechein] me trouble.” This persistent widow was exhaustingly “up close.”

Parechō means giving or providing. But this is not detached giving. It’s providing “up-close-and-personal.”

God, the ongoing provider

Parechō is up-close-and-personal providing. As used here, it is also ongoing. The present tense in Greek has the sense of continuous or repeated action. It’s not just the past, but it includes the past. It’s not just the present, but it includes the present. It’s not just the future, but it includes the future.

One translation reads,

“God, the One who is constantly offering us all things” (1 Timothy 6:17b).175

Others translate this using,

“continually gives”176 or

“ceaselessly provides”177

Professor Linda Belleville explains,

“The present-tense substantive participle tō parechonti emphasizes that God is a giver who keeps on giving.”178

The source of the donor’s wealth is God’s rich provision. That’s the story of the donor’s past wealth. It’s the story of the donor’s current wealth. It will also be the story of the donor’s future wealth or other rich provision.

In our passage, providing [parechonti] is not just a one-time action. It’s not just something God did in the past. (Although he has.) It’s not just something God is doing right now. (Although he is.) It’s not just something God will do in the future. (Although he will.) Instead, this describes an enduring characteristic of God.

It’s a continuous action because this is who God is.179 The reference to God’s identity is specific in the Greek. He is,

“God [Theō] the One [tō] providing [parechonti] us [hēmin] all things [panta] richly [plousiōs]” (1 Timothy 6:17b).

He is “the One” providing all things.180 He is God the provider.181 He is Jehovah-Jireh.182 It’s part of His identity. That’s just who God is.

This identity is why He provided in the past. It’s why He provides now. It’s why He will provide in the future.

God, the provider of every individual thing

Of course, God supplies much more than just wealth. He supplies “all things” [panta]. It all comes from God.183 This word, panta, has the sense not only of “all” but also of “each individual thing.” One lexicon defines it as

“each, every; each ‘part(s) of a totality’”184

God supplies it all. He supplies each individual part. And He doesn’t just supply this to the rich person. He supplies it to all of “us” [hēmin].

This is not limited to riches. It’s not limited to the rich. It’s a shared experience for all of us. Together, we’re all being richly supplied by God.185 He provides each of us with every individual thing. Together, we can each share from that rich supply.

God, the ideal partner

Partnership is a theme throughout 1 Timothy 6:17-19. That same theme occurs here. Yes, God provides us with all things. But it’s part of a relationship. God’s provision is “up close and personal.” It’s part of an ongoing partnership. It’s part of the best possible ongoing partnership.

This is the ultimate partnership. It has the ultimate partnership benefits. God provides [parechonti]. But He does so in an amazingly abundant way. He does so richly [plousiōs]. Beyond just providing, parechonti includes the idea of

“to hold beside” or

“hold in readiness”186

This creates an inspiring image of abundance. God is holding at the ready rich provision. It’s all stacked up, just waiting for you! You want to be part of that partnership. You want to connect with that partner. He’s already given it to you. He’s done so richly. He’s waiting for your response. He’s holding in readiness even more!

God is the ideal partner. He provides ultimate partnership benefits. This is not just a matter of money. It’s not a financial exchange. It’s about all things. His provision is the source of each and every good thing. It’s the source of all the things we’ve received in the past. It’s the source of all the things we have now. It’s the source of all the things we may receive in the future.

Part II

The Wealth Origin Story and Gratitude Giving

The origin story of the donor’s wealth

1 Timothy 6:17-19 repeatedly focuses on wealth. This one sentence uses wealth as

“a personal noun, an objective noun, an adverb, and a verb.”187

It uses

It uses apothēsaurizontas [storing up treasure]. It uses themelion [foundation or fund].

This passage tells the story of wealth. It starts with the end of the story. The end of the wealth story is this: we don’t get to keep it. Those who are rich are rich only “in this present world.” We can’t take it with us when we die. (1 Timothy 6:7). Even while we live, wealth is uncertain. It’s subject to disappearing at any moment [adēlotēti].

Next, it tells the beginning of the story. This is the “origin story” of the donor’s wealth. It’s the origin story of the donor’s past, present, and future wealth. The donor’s wealth, along with everything else, is richly supplied by God.188

This origin story encourages generosity. It does so in many ways. It does so through

Each attitude flows naturally from understanding the origin of the donor’s wealth. This origin story is why each argument makes sense. Without it, none of them do.

The origin of gratitude reciprocity

God gives. We respond. How? With gratitude. But what is gratitude? It may not be what you think it is. In scripture, gratitude is not just saying, “Thanks!” It’s not a statement. It’s an action. Gratitude is an action that confirms a reciprocal relationship.

In both the ancient world and scripture, giving necessitates an appropriate response.189 Sharing is a partnership. It requires reciprocity. A gift is not a mere transfer of assets. It’s not just wealth redistribution. A gift is part of an ongoing relationship. It’s part of a mutual relationship of reciprocated gifting.

God gives to us. We respond to Him with reciprocal actions of gratitude. We respond by giving to others. They, in turn, also respond to us and our God with reciprocal actions of gratitude.190

Why does God give? Because He cares for us. Why do we respond with our gifts? Because we care for Him and others. Why do others respond to our giving? Because they care, too.

These are relationships, not market transactions. But they’re also not entirely one-sided. If I give and the other person never responds, that probably means something. It probably means they don’t want to be in a relationship. It means we’re not in a partnership.

A partnership requires some type of mutual reciprocity. It requires a response. A person who receives but doesn’t respond is a bad partner. A person with no gratitude is a bad partner.

Giving and gratitude prove partnership emotion

Both the initial gift and the response gift are part of mutual, reciprocal relationships. They are tangible evidence of partnership emotion. They are actions that prove a relationship. Paul encourages the Corinthians’ giving, writing,

“I am not saying this as a command, but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love as well.” (2 Corinthians 8:8).

“Therefore, openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.” (2 Corinthians 8:24).

The gift is not a simple transfer of assets. It’s not mere wealth redistribution. It’s proof. It’s proof of an emotion. It’s tangible evidence of a relationship.

This is true of the donor’s gift. It’s also true of the recipient’s response. Paul describes the recipient’s response to the Corinthians’ planned gifts writing,

“while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.” (2 Cor 9:14).

Another translation explains,

“while they themselves also in supplications on your behalf pour out their longing love towards you because of God’s surpassing grace which is resting upon you.” (2 Cor 9:14, Weymouth).

The recipients respond with action on behalf of the donor. They respond with action that confirms the emotional relationship.

Gratitude by the rich

In our passage, the rich person has received. They’ve been richly supplied by God. They’ve been given a gift. How will they respond?

Will they ignore the gift? If so, they’re bad partners. This would violate partnership values. Will they acknowledge the gift but do nothing in return? Again, they would be bad partners. This would violate partnership values.

A good partner responds to the gift. He acts. He expresses reciprocal gratitude. His action reflects an appreciation of the relationship. It is proof of that emotion. When given the chance, he responds. He does something his benefactor would want.

In our passage, the rich person is being a good partner with God. He responds to God’s gifts. God richly supplies him. He, in turn, uses this to do the good works that God desires.

He responds by “paying it forward.” It’s not a transaction. It’s an expression of a relationship. It reflects a desire to do what the giver wants. It expresses appreciation for who God is. It does this by imitating God’s generous behavior.

The rich person is being a good partner with God. He is not just acknowledging the gift. He is expressing gratitude through action. He is giving proof of the importance of the relationship.

Remove the gift roots, and the gratitude tree falls

In this passage, the rich person fulfills partnership expectations. He responds to God’s gift with gratitude. His gratitude is proven by action. He returns the favor. He does things to please the giver.

All of this starts with one foundation. It starts with one idea: the donor has received a gift. Otherwise, none of this makes sense. If the origin story of the donor’s wealth has nothing to do with God, then gratitude to God makes no sense. Without a gift, there can be no gratitude.

Suppose my wealth was not richly supplied by God. Suppose, instead, it was entirely from me. I earned it. Or I own it by birthright. God had nothing to do with it.

In that case, gratitude makes no sense. The wealth comes from me. It belongs to me. It’s because of me. It’s because of who I am or what I’ve done. I did it and others didn’t. This also makes it easy to think of myself as above others. It’s easy to become “high-minded.”191

And if it’s not a gift, why would I be grateful? To whom? Myself? For what? Working hard? Being smart? Having a birthright? That doesn’t make sense. Scripture describes this attitude. It says,

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’” (Deuteronomy 8:17 NIV).

It then provides the antidote to this attitude.

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18a NIV).

Responding with gratitude requires recognizing the gift. In our passage, the rich person responds with gratitude. The root of this is that God has given first. God has richly supplied. Remove this root, and the tree falls. Gratitude requires a gift. Without a gift, there can be no gratitude.

Part III

The Wealth Origin Story and Stewardship Giving

Our story role

This passage tells the story of wealth. That wealth story starts and ends like this:

  1. It’s richly supplied to us by God.
  2. We don’t get to keep it.

This beginning and ending do something else. They define our role in the story. We are temporary managers.

The wealth was provided to us. And it’s not ours to keep. We just get to manage it for right now. Later, we’ll report how we used it. Did we manage it wisely? A lot depends on the answer to that question.

The steward in scripture

Search for “stewardship” online and you’ll get mostly religious references. But originally, this was not a religious word. Instead, it was an economic word. In fact, it was the economic word. A steward is an oikonomos. The word “economics” comes from the Greek oikonomos. One lexicon describes this as

“the manager of a household or of household affairs; especially a steward, manager, superintendent; the manager of a farm or landed estate, an overseer.”192

In Romans 16:23, Paul writes, “Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you.” The phrase for “city treasurer” is “oikonomos [steward] tēs poleōs [of the city].” Oikonomos [steward] is just a job title. For example, a restaurant manager is an oikonomos. He runs the restaurant, but he doesn’t own it. A city treasurer is an oikonomos. He manages the treasury, but it’s not his money.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 describes stewardship. But it doesn’t use that word. However, Peter does use “steward” in a parallel teaching. He writes,

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good [kaloi] stewards [oikonomoi] of the multifaceted grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10).

Peter explains that we each have received gifts. 1 Timothy 6:17 does the same. God has richly supplied us with each individual thing. Peter explains how we use what we’ve been given. We

“employ it in serving one another as good [kaloi] stewards [oikonomoi]” (1 Peter 4:10b).

In 1 Timothy 6:18 this is also true. We use what we’ve been given. We use it

“to be rich in good [kalois] works” (1 Timothy 6:18a).

Peter describes this job as oikonomoi. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 doesn’t use that word, but it does describe the same job. God supplies. We use it as instructed to serve one another. In both cases, the job is the same. We are managers. We are stewards.

Being a good steward is not limited to managing money. In the New Testament, stewards manage all sorts of things. They manage

The broadest stewardship is in 1 Peter 4:10 and 1 Timothy 6:17-18. 1 Peter 4:10 includes whatever special gift we’ve received. 1 Timothy 6:17 includes all things richly supplied to us by God.193

Whether wealthy or not, we all have the same job. We’ve all been given something. And we don’t get to keep it forever. We’re all just temporary managers.

Stewardship reciprocity in scripture

Steward (manager) is a job title. As with other jobs, performance matters. The good manager gets bonuses! Our passage describes performance bonuses. Good managers get to store up treasure for themselves. They get to take hold of that which is truly life. This is a job with great benefits!

This reciprocity for a job well done is explicit. Professor Patrick Fairbarn notes of this passage,

“The doctrine could scarcely be more unequivocally put, and is the more remarkable as coming from him who was emphatically the preacher of grace; he saw no incompatibility between a free salvation, the gift of sovereign grace to the sinful, and the placing of those who have become partakers of grace under the law of recompense.”194

Paul describes a job. It’s a job with reciprocity benefits. Jesus describes the same job in his parables. He describes the same reciprocity. In Jesus’s description, the reciprocity is even more explicit. In fact, it’s often extreme.

Stewardship reciprocity in parables

Jesus’s stewardship parables have common elements. An owner leaves for a time. He puts a manager in charge. On his return, the good manager is rewarded. The bad one is punished. The good manager follows the owner’s instructions. The bad one doesn’t.

For example, in Luke 19,

“A nobleman went to a distant country” (Luke 19:12b).

He gave money, a mina, to each of ten servants. He said,

“Do business with this money until I come back.” (Luke 19:13b).

On his return, there was reciprocity. It was extreme. The one who earned 10 minas was put in charge of 10 cities. The reciprocity was also symmetrical. The one who earned 5 minas was put in charge of 5 cities.

The reciprocity could also be negative. The one who kept his mina “tucked away in a handkerchief” was punished. He was called “worthless.” His money was taken from him.

Jesus shares a similar story in Matthew 25:14-20. Again, the owner went on a journey. Again, he placed servants in charge of money. Again, the good managers put their money to work [ergasato]. Again, they were rewarded. They were put in charge of even more. Again, the bad manager hid the money. Again, he is called “worthless.” Again, his money is taken from him.

The reciprocity in this parable is, again, explicit. And it’s extreme. Jesus explains,

“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:29-30b).

In Luke 12, Jesus shares another parable. This time, he specifically uses the word for steward. Again, the owner is away. This time, the owner is at a wedding feast. (Luke 12:36). Again, the “faithful and sensible steward [oikonomos]” does his job. (Luke 12:42). Again, he is rewarded. Again, his reward is to be put in charge of more.195

Again, the other manager does not “act in accordance with” the owner’s will. (Luke 12:47). He abuses his position. Again, the bad manager is punished. Again, the punishment is extreme. The owner scourges him or cuts him to pieces.196

Timothy’s audience would have been familiar with these parables. Paul’s words remind them that they, too, are temporary managers. Wealth comes from God, and it’s not theirs to keep. They can manage wisely and gain great benefit. Or they can manage poorly. They can bury it in the ground and face the consequences.

Stewardship reciprocity in an unusual parable

Jesus uses steward [oikonomos] in one other parable. This is the Parable of the Unjust Steward. (Luke 16:1-13). At first, this might seem to be a strange fit for stewardship. It’s a story of a steward who did not benefit the owner. He sought his own gain. Yet, he is commended.

This odd parable matches with our passage. John Stott writes of 1 Timothy 6:17-19,

“Perhaps the best commentary on this teaching is Jesus’ parable of the unjust steward or shrewd manager.”197

How do these match? In this parable, the steward is managing wealth. But that job is ending. The assets he manages will soon be useless to him. So, he gives them away to benefit others. He trades them for beneficial friendships that will last. He helps those who

“will welcome me into their homes.” (Luke 16:4b).

Jesus explains the point of the parable. He says,

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9).

This parable parallels 1 Timothy 6:17-19. The scenario is the same. The wealthy are also managing wealth. Their management is also ending. They don’t get to keep it. They have wealth, but only at this moment.

They are also instructed to convert those assets into treasure that lasts. They are instructed to generously share [koinōnikous] with the fellowship community [koinōnia]. These are not just friends. These are friends who

“will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9b).

In both cases, the wise move is to make a trade. Exchange temporary wealth for lasting treasure. In both cases, the trade is urgent. The wealth manager role is ending. It’s temporary. It can end at any moment. Once that happens, it’s too late. Right now is the opportune moment.

Jesus reiterates the point of the parable. He explains,

“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11).

In both cases, using wealth the right way leads to a reward. In Luke, the reward is to be trusted “with true riches.” In 1 Timothy, the reward is,

“storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:19).

That certainly qualifies as “true riches.”

Reciprocity and reward are common themes in the stewardship parables. Managing wisely results in getting either more or better things. It results in a reward.

The same is true in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. The rich are temporary wealth managers. But they can store up for themselves treasure that lasts into the future. They can convert wealth into that which is truly life. Managing wisely results in getting more and better things.

The fun of stewardship giving

Suppose you’re serving a term on a board. The board manages a charitable foundation. The foundation has rules. These rules come from the foundation’s creator. They come from the one who supplied the funds. The rules require that the funds be used for charitable purposes. They require giving.

Now, suppose you learn of an opportunity to give. You get a request for funds. You decide that the project has merit. It fits the foundation’s purposes. So, you make the gift. Your gift then creates a good work. You get to see it come to life.

Is making that gift painful? No. Why not? Because the money wasn’t yours. It wasn’t yours to keep; it was just yours to manage. This is giving, but it’s giving as a steward. That gift doesn’t hurt. In fact, it’s fun.

This steward role makes giving fun. It retains all the joy of normal giving. It makes the same impact. But there’s no pain of loss. The pain disappears because you’re just the temporary manager.

This giving is cheerful giving. It’s no longer a tradeoff between the pain of losing money and the joy of making an impact. It’s all the joy with none of the pain.

Remove the roots, and the tree falls

A stewardship approach to wealth encourages generosity. A gratitude approach to wealth does the same. They both depend on the answer to one question. Is God the one who richly provides us with all things?

If the answer is yes, then stewardship makes sense. Otherwise, it doesn’t. If it wasn’t provided to me by another, then I’m not managing it for anyone else.

If the answer is yes, then gratitude also makes sense. Otherwise, it doesn’t. If it all came from me, then I have no one to be grateful to.

The roots of generosity and stewardship are the same. They spring from the origin story of wealth. If it comes from God, then both make sense.198 Otherwise, neither do.

Part IV

The Wealth Origin Story and Abundance Giving

Wealth origins: Scarcity or abundance?

Suppose you’re in the desert. You have a full canteen of water. You’ll be drinking from it later, but you’re not thirsty right now. Someone else is. Do you share?

That’s a hard choice. You might need it in the future. Whatever you share now, you won’t be able to drink later. Even if you choose to share, it’s a stressful tradeoff.

Let’s change one thing. You know of a nearby stream. It’s where you’ve filled your canteen many times in the past. Now, do you share? That’s an easy choice. Your canteen might be emptied, but your source of water is still there.

In both cases, you give the same thing. But in the second scenario, giving isn’t stressful. It’s enjoyable. If God is the one who richly supplies us, then we have a nearby stream. Giving is no longer a stressful tradeoff. It’s sharing from an abundant ongoing supply.

Scripture and the abundance mindset

A scarcity mindset says, “There’s only a little. Hold tightly to every dime!” It says, “Be careful! Any loss will be tragic.” It plays a zero-sum game. Winning means avoiding loss. A scarcity mindset makes giving painful.

An abundance mindset says, “Don’t worry; there will be more where that came from!” It is gain-focused, not loss-focused. It plays a mutual-benefit game. It allows for managing wealth more open-handedly. It allows for casting bread on the waters.199 It allows for putting wealth to work. An abundance mindset makes giving enjoyable.

The scarcity and abundance mindsets are different. Which approach does scripture describe? It describes both. In parables, people receive wealth to manage. One manager has a scarcity mindset. He focuses on avoiding loss. So, he buries the wealth in the ground. Or he hides it in a handkerchief.

At the end, he reports back. Because of his scarcity mindset, he feels he has done a good job. He has protected the asset. He has suffered no loss. It’s all in place just as it started.

What’s the result of this scarcity mindset? The result is more scarcity. What he has is taken from him. The manager is punished.

The other managers have a different mindset. They focus on capturing a gain. The wealth is not there to be hidden. It’s there to be used. They manage the wealth open-handedly. They send it out to earn a return. They put the wealth to work.

What’s the result of this abundance mindset? The result is more abundance. The wealth increases. Then, the owner rewards them. They receive massively more.

The results of abundance stewardship

The result of close-fisted scarcity stewardship is even more scarcity. The result of open-handed abundance stewardship is even more abundance. That’s the point of the Parable of the Talents. In case we missed it, Jesus states it plainly. He summarizes,

“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance [perisseuthēsetai]; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.” (Matthew 25:29).

The result for the good manager is that “he will have an abundance.” The word for “abundance” here is from perisseuō. This can mean

Definitions of the root word perissos include

“to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess.”206

The connection to our passage is made more explicit in the Amplified Bible. It translates Matthew 25:29a as,

“For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance” (brackets in original).

Paul emphasizes this same abundance outcome in his fundraising appeal letter in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. By giving, we become a good partner for God. He responds by providing more. He provides more so that we can continue blessing others. Our generosity leads to abundance. As Paul explains, God provides

“an abundance [perisseusai] for every good deed” (2 Corinthians 9:8b).

Also, the donor

“will be enriched for everything for all liberality” (2 Corinthians 9:11a).

This is giving that leads to abundance. Jesus explains,

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.” (Luke 6:38a ESV).

Jesus then simplifies the results of the scarcity and abundance mindsets. He explains,

“For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38b ESV).

Paul mirrors this with his own description:

“Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Simply put, God responds to generosity. Abundance stewardship results in even more abundance. Understanding this makes giving more enjoyable. It also makes wealth management much less stressful.

Wealth origins and the abundance mindset

The origin story of wealth changes wealth management. Suppose God is not the ongoing, richly supplying provider of all things, including wealth. This makes wealth management stressful. Wealth is a pool, not a river. If the pool drains, that’s it. It’s gone forever.

If the wealthy person’s community standing was based on wealth, that’s also gone. If their friendships were based on wealth, those disappear, too. Because wealth is so uncertain, they are constantly on the edge of losing everything.

It’s a stressful way to live. Giving only adds to that stress. It drains that pool. It creates anxiety about what’s been lost. It puts their future at risk.

This all changes if God is the one who richly supplies us with all things. He’s the source of our past, present, and future wealth. This allows us to be open-handed with wealth.

If we lose something given to us by our rich father, it’s not the end of the world. Our father is still rich. He still loves us. He will still provide. He can replace the gift. He can replace it with something even more valuable!

Wealth is no longer a shrinking pool to be protected. Instead, it’s like water from a river.207 Why would we hoard water when we have access to a river? Professor Dan Lioy writes of 1 Timothy 6:17-19,

“Hoarding resources would reveal that they neither understood the source of their wealth nor its temporary nature.”208

Professor Thomas G. Long explains that,

“[Paul] is attempting to change the frame on wealth. Instead of looking to riches as a means to provide security for the present and hope for the future – which leads naturally to a life spent jealously hoarding and guarding – look at the things of this world as free gifts from the abundance of God. Seen this way, they relax our grip on them. We can receive them as means for joy, and we can open our hands in generosity towards others” 209

Tilly Dillehay notes of 1 Timothy 6:17,

“Their enjoyment is not the clutching enjoyment of the glutton or a miser; it’s the enjoyment of a child sitting in front of something his father made for him especially. It’s freely felt, free in the knowledge that because of the Father we have, there’s more where this came from.”210

If we stay connected to the one who richly provides all things, we don’t have to stress. We can use wealth open-handedly. We can use it to do good. We can enjoy it. Giving from abundance is fun. The origin story of the wealth changes the giving experience.

Conclusion: Fun giving starts here

This passage establishes a mindset under which giving is the most enjoyable.

All of these rely on one fact. God is the one who richly supplies us with all things. Otherwise, none of these make sense. Without this starting point, there is no gratitude to God. There is no ongoing partnership with God. There is no ongoing abundance from God.

But if God is the one who richly supplies us with all things, everything changes. Gratitude makes sense. (Giving is more fun because it was a gift to us in the first place.) Stewardship makes sense. (Giving is more fun because we’re just temporary managers anyway.) Open-handed sharing from abundance makes sense. (Giving is more fun because there will be plenty more where that came from!)

It all starts at the same place. It all comes from having placed our trust in

“God, the One richly providing us all things for enjoyment;” (1 Timothy 6:17b BLB).