"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;"
1 Timothy 6:17-18
Earlier in this chapter it tells us that "the love of money is the root of all evil" (verse 10), which presents money as a fairly dangerous thing, since we are surely tempted to love it. I like that here we learn some of the things that help us avoid the associated evil, whether rich or not. If we do good and are willing to use our money to help others and to reach out to others, then we're doing as God asks and sticking to the good. To me it seems like the idea is to be other-focused rather than self-focused. The more we are willing to share with and communicate with others, to be part of a community of good, the safer we are in making sure we are loving people rather than things.
There are many other things besides money that can be easily used for evil--television, the internet, and other technologies as one example. Perhaps some of the same guidance can apply to other areas as well. As we dedicate ourselves and our actions to God and prioritize his will, we are able to avoid the dangerous potential of so many things, and find ways to do good, similar to the idea of Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to them that love God" or Titus 1:15: "Unto the pure all things are pure."
Today, let's make sure that we work on being pure and not highminded. Let's make sure that we are using the resources that we have in life for God's purposes, and not loving anything more than we love him. As we fix our priorities, a lot of the pitfalls in life will get safer or even become non-issues, because we are focused where we should be--on God. As we work on that, we will become rich in better ways, like in good works, and in service to God and each other, rather than collecting the most toys or getting into mischief. :)
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;"
1 Timothy 6:17-18
Earlier in this chapter it tells us that "the love of money is the root of all evil" (verse 10), which presents money as a fairly dangerous thing, since we are surely tempted to love it. I like that here we learn some of the things that help us avoid the associated evil, whether rich or not. If we do good and are willing to use our money to help others and to reach out to others, then we're doing as God asks and sticking to the good. To me it seems like the idea is to be other-focused rather than self-focused. The more we are willing to share with and communicate with others, to be part of a community of good, the safer we are in making sure we are loving people rather than things.
There are many other things besides money that can be easily used for evil--television, the internet, and other technologies as one example. Perhaps some of the same guidance can apply to other areas as well. As we dedicate ourselves and our actions to God and prioritize his will, we are able to avoid the dangerous potential of so many things, and find ways to do good, similar to the idea of Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to them that love God" or Titus 1:15: "Unto the pure all things are pure."
Today, let's make sure that we work on being pure and not highminded. Let's make sure that we are using the resources that we have in life for God's purposes, and not loving anything more than we love him. As we fix our priorities, a lot of the pitfalls in life will get safer or even become non-issues, because we are focused where we should be--on God. As we work on that, we will become rich in better ways, like in good works, and in service to God and each other, rather than collecting the most toys or getting into mischief. :)
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