“17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life”-  I Timothy 6:17-19

Do you consider yourself rich? I guess that most people would say they are not. Andy Stanley, the Lead Pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, says that if you are trying to determine if you are rich, answer the following questions.

“Have you ever stood in front of a closet full of clothes trying to find something to wear?

Have you ever traded in a perfectly good car for another car?

Have you ever killed some time talking on your cell phone while standing in line to get a newer version of the same phone?

Do you ever go shopping just to relax?”

If you said to any of these, you might be rich. The truth is we’re so absorbed in the effort to get rich that we no longer recognize when we are rich. We live in the wealthiest time in history in the wealthiest country in the world. Our economy is the fuel for the world’s economic success.

If you have ever struggled with where you will take a vacation, struggled with slow internet, car troubles, flight delays, and the fact that you can’t find your size in something online, then you suffer from rich people’s problems. I promise you that I am not trying to make you feel guilty; just the opposite, we should feel grateful. 

Paul tells Timothy to instruct people like us that there is nothing wrong with being rich; you just need to be good at it. He tells us not to let our riches distort our self-worth and make us arrogant. Our wealth can also get us out of balance, and we can begin to rely on it more than we trust God.

Therefore, we must combat these dangers with a heart of gratitude which will compel us to use our riches to do good. Imagine if we spent every day determined to do something good, something selfless for another, or something for the greater good of the community. If this were our focus, we would never be in danger of being controlled by our wealth. It’s time that we demonstrate how to be Godly at being rich.

We are rich now; let us be grateful!

Journeying Together,

John