Tuesday, 21 January, 2020: I Timothy 6:17-21

Now, why would I spend time in “Walking with Jesus” to speak of wealth? Because the closing verses of 1 Timothy 6 are our focus today. Listen to what Paul writes to Timothy in about 64ad: “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. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19)

What a very powerful statement of values, priorities, attitudes and lifestyle, would you agree? God speaks to us a great deal about wealth in the Bible. Financial resources are essential for life, in any society. But very easily they can move from being commodities that enable us to live life, to monsters that captivate our minds and consume our hearts and control our lives. 

“Wealthy” is a matter of relative perspective isn’t it? 

When Dawn and I lived in Haiti as missionaries in the 80’s near our little cement block, tin roof, 24’x24′ house, were one room, mud wall, grass roof huts. We had generator produced electricity much of the time, and clean water from a well. Those folks around us had neither. Our daughter April had school books and a one room school of other missionary kids, the children around us had no school. We had shoes and at least a few changes of clothes in our small closet, they had no shoes and very little clothing. By comparison in that setting, we were wealthy. By comparison to most of our friends back in America, we were poor in material possessions. But many of those dear Haitians were rich in heart, mind and soul. Jesus had saved them from Voodooism and bondage to Satan and demons. They were overwhelmed by God’s love for them. They often sang themselves to sleep at night in the dark of their huts, with empty stomachs, but hearts filled with gratitude to God. As you can imagine… we learned some important lessons in life.

Regardless of your financial situation, may I ask about your priorities, your values, about what brings you joy and fulfillment in life? How valuable is Jesus to you, really? How reliant are you upon God for His supply of what He knows you need? (Matt. 6:8)

All that you have… house, car, furniture, toys, investments, all of it, whose is it? Is it yours because you inherited or earned it, or is it God’s and He has entrusted it to you, to be used under HIS guidance for HIS glory and the accomplishment of HIS global purposes as He guides you in ‘walking through life with Jesus’? And how do you respond when you sense God is stirring you to give some of it away, to missionaries or churches or the poor or however He guides you? Now don’t rush from those questions, sit for a moment, ponder, reflect, talk with Jesus about what HE sees in the truth in your heart. 

Twice in this 6th chapter, Paul has focused on money when giving Timothy instructions about teaching and leading the Christians in Ephesus. Why? Because in every society, every country, every generation the struggles with financial resources are the same. We need it to survive, yet we are deluged with advertising to convince us we need more money to buy more things, to enjoy life more. 

Everyday we each and all see other people who it appears have more than we do… and down deep inside something stirs. That’s the finger of the devil trying to awaken jealousy, envy and discontent with what God has provided for you. So here’s a question: as we look back over our lives how has this battle for “resource contentment” raged in each of us? How have we handle it when our children or grandchildren asked for something because their friends had it? 

May I point us to two powerful Scripture truths about this matter of what I’m calling ‘resource contentment’?

1. Deuteronomy chapter 8 was Moses’ warning to the generation who survived the desert 40 years of wandering, just before they were going to enter the promised land and begin to accumulate wealth. He said “…when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase, and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of… the land of slavery…” (Deut. 8:12-14) Have you see this happen in yourself or others? 

2. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… No one can serve both God and Money.” (Matt. 6:19-21,24) Have you seen this to be true in yourself or others? Whom do you know who stores up far more in heaven than they do here? How has that affected their lifestyle and especially their ‘soul contentment’? 

Do you see in verse 18 Paul speaks of generosity. Have you noticed how closely generosity and gratitude are connected? And conversely how greed and a sense of entitlement or selfishness are connected? 

Have you noticed how the more Jesus focused, and living in awe of God a person is, the more grateful, gracious, generous, and gentle they usually are? Conversely, the more self-focused and disregard of God a person is, normally the more greedy, judgmental, pessimistic and disagreeable a person is. You see, the Holy Spirit welcomed in our lives and invited to do His refining work in us will make us to be more and more like Jesus, my friends. 

Finally as Paul closes his first letter to Timothy, do you see he once again challenges Timothy to “…guard what has been entrusted to your care.” (6:20) Paul means Timothy is to protect the work that God is doing in his heart and mind, from anything that would confuse or counter that work of God. So what is the Holy Spirit trying to do in your heart and mind friends, and what you watch on TV or Netflix or what you listen to on the radio, or web sites you visit on the internet or friendships you are nurturing with people… are all those things nurturing God’s work in you or decaying that God work?

“Turn away from godless chatter and opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge…“ Paul write, because so easily we can ‘wander away from the faith’ as we are attracted to things which are not God honoring. Do you and I have the courage and wisdom to do this friends? 

I see Timothy rolling up the scroll letter he has received from Paul, and saying to himself “Thank you Paul, I have so much yet to learn about living a life that is exemplary for others, and fully available to all Jesus wants to do IN me and THROUGH me for God’s glory.”  Is that your heart and mind today my friends? 

This little letter has been a call to deep self-analysis and accountability hasn’t it? What has Jesus been saying to you as we’ve walked together through 1 Timothy? What long term impact will it have on our lives and our legacies?

Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for the ongoing work You are doing in each of us. . .