1 Timothy 6:17-18
“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be high-minded or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who richly supplies us with all things for enjoyment: to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”
It’s easy to think that wealth brings abundance. It doesn’t. A miser or hoarder may have great wealth, but they’ll have no abundance. They’ll have nothing that’s “extra.”
If we set our hope in wealth, we will never have enough. We’ll never have enough because wealth is uncertain. What if we save up more than our remaining lifetime of spending minus earning? That’s still not enough. Why not? Because we can still be afraid.
What if an injury happens and we can’t earn income as expected? We might need to pile up even more. (Or buy disability insurance.) But we can still be afraid.
What if we live a really long time? We might need to pile up even more. (Or we can buy a deferred annuity.) But we can still be afraid.
What if inflation makes money worth much less? We might need to pile up more assets. (Or we can buy inflation-protected government bonds.) But we can still be afraid.
What if we need to pay for a nursing home? We might need to pile up even more. (Or we can buy nursing home insurance.) But we can still be afraid.
What if we get sued? What if the market collapses? What if the insurance company collapses? What if there’s a war or revolution? What if the government taxes or takes our stuff? What if a thief breaks in and steals? What if moths and rust destroy? There is no limit to financial fear. Why? Because wealth is uncertain.
- If we hope in riches, security means having more than enough for every fear, like theft, lawsuits, war, and investment failure. How much is this? Can any amount of savings erase these fears?
- If we’re always afraid that we might need the money, will it ever feel like we have extra? Will we ever live in abundance?
- Suppose instead we set our hope and trust in God’s ongoing, rich provision. Does this make it easier for part of our accumulated wealth to become “extra”? How does this help us to live in a state of abundance?
Fear leads to burying wealth. In the Parable of the Talents, a “talent” is a weight. It’s about 130 pounds (58 kilograms) of gold. In this parable, the bad steward buried his chunk of gold. He explained,
“And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground.” (Matthew 25:25).
In the Parable of the Minas, the bad steward hides away money in a napkin. He explained,
“here is your mina, which I kept tucked away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid”. (Luke 19:20b-21a).
- How can fear lead to burying wealth rather than using or enjoying it?
- How can fear affect our willingness to enjoy wealth by using it to do good?
- How might setting our hope in a richly providing God rather than in hidden riches affect this fear?
In this passage, God richly “supplies” [parechonti] all things. This word starts with pare meaning “from close-beside.” It means to give in an “up-close-and-personal” way.24
This isn’t a disconnected transfer. It’s part of an up-close-and-personal relationship. And it’s not a one-time event. The verb tense includes the ongoing past, present, and future. One translation uses,
“God, the One who is constantly offering us all things”.25
Setting our hope in a close-beside, constantly providing God changes wealth into abundance. More of it can become extra. This is a great gain. As 1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV) says,
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
- Consider the good things God has supplied in any area of your life. (This includes relationships, work, school, leisure, physical and mental health, spirituality, money, daily living and so forth.) What are the first three that come to mind?
- How does trusting in an “up-close-and-personal,” “constantly providing” God affect our anxiety about money and our future? How does it free us to enjoy more of what we have by using it to do good?