|
“Charge them that are rich in this world…that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate…that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
It is clearly wrong for a Christian to set out in life to become rich, as we saw yesterday. However, when a believer works hard in his business or in his job, sometimes the Lord allows him or her to become wealthy. This is not wrong, but it makes us very responsible. The more we have in this world, the more the Lord holds us responsible to use it for Him.
Here in our verse today those who are rich are told to be “rich in good works,” and to be “ready to distribute.” That means that those who are rich should be willing to use their money to help those in need, and there are plenty of needs in this world. The Lord Jesus could say to those around Him, “The poor always ye have with you” (John 12:8), and this continues to be true today, all over the world. Also, we must remind ourselves that most of us who live in Western countries are rich beyond the wildest dreams of most of the world’s population. Thus we are not to aim to be rich, but if we have more than most people in this world, we are to look to the Lord for wisdom to use it for Him.
|
