TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 23, 2017.
RICHES
DEFINITION:
Abundant and valuable possessions; wealth.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. I Timothy 6:17.
We began early in the lives of our children to teach them to be responsible with their money. We are grateful to our Lord that He provided just enough riches to us to provide our children what they needed. But we were not always able to provide the "wants" they would have liked to have. It was an important lesson for them to learn that having everything we want is not what is important in life. There is a big difference between need and want and when parents and children learn this it will make a huge difference in attitude.
We also taught our children that 10% of all money earned or received as a gift belonged to the Lord. God has proven to all of our family over these years that He will bless us if we honor this commitment to Him. We encouraged our children to spend their money on their "wants" after they gave their tithe to the Lord.
Although our budget was at times tight, we tried to show our children, by example, the importance of first giving to God His share and then sharing with others a portion of what God blessed us with.
Money in itself is not evil. It becomes evil when the desire for it becomes all consuming and the driving force in one’s life. In I Timothy 6:10, Paul describes the “love of money as the root of all evil,” and he warns that the love of money causes people to wander from their faith.
Riches and money are powerful forces in the world we live in today. Despite the evidence that money cannot buy happiness most people still believe it will so they put their trust in money, rather than God who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Trusting in wealth and using it to gain power clogs our spiritual arteries and spiritual development. We are told in Deuteronomy 8:17 and 18, "You may say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. But you shall remember the Lord your God, it is He who has given you power to get wealth." Our hope is not to be found in riches but in the Lord.
What matters to the Lord is not whether we are rich or poor but rather what is our attitude about riches. The apostle Paul tells us in I Timothy 6:17 (above) that those who are rich in this world should not be conceited about their wealth because worldly riches are temporary and cannot be taken with us when we die. Paul also tells us not to put our trust in uncertain riches. He infers in this verse that it is very hard to have riches in this world without having to put some measure of trust in those riches, therefore it is important for us to remember that riches can be quickly lost.
With riches comes responsibility. God expects us to use wisely what He blessed us with. In verse 18, Paul tells us that if God does bless us with riches that we should be ready to give and willing to share. When you use your riches, God wants you to use them to do good. By doing this you will be laying up treasures in heaven (verses18-19).
God wants us not to put riches first in our lives nor put our trust in riches. We are to recognize that all riches come from God and we should be thankful for what we have. It is He who will supply all of our needs. Riches are a blessing only to those who make them a blessing to others.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 6:9.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Give me the right attitude about riches. Help me not to be jealous of those that have riches. Help me to be the steward of any riches You give me in a way that honors Your name.
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