Earthly Treasures, Part 3

Read the previous post before we close out our thoughts about money. I hope that all of us may be more aware that the issue of money is huge to the Lord. Not only does our Lord address it, but the Apostle Paul at the end of his life addressed it in his letter to Timothy.

The only explanation that I can feel comfortable with as the Holy Spirit constantly brings my wealth before me is that He is shouting out to me and you that we must get our belief system and thoughts about money in line with the Lord's truth and not our culture’s ideas.

With that in mind, listen to what the Scriptures say to each of us in 1 Timothy.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” –1 Timothy 6:6-10 

I don’t need money in eternity, but what I do with my money during my time on Earth has everything to do with my riches in eternity.

Verse 7 above simply states that whatever I accumulate stays here, but what I invest for His name’s sake and the sake of the gospel bears a return for all eternity. 

Paul's second admonition has to do with driving ambition. What drives you?

If my driving ambition is to be rich, I will miss God’s best for my brief time on Earth. If I become rich, as I follow Jesus, I am a most blessed man with a huge responsibility to use my wealth for the glory of God, not the glory of John Maisel.

In God’s economy, there are people who are passionate about following Jesus to whom God has entrusted riches for His name’s sake. Then there are Christians who are driven to possess wealth for their name’s sake. The issue is always who owns the wealth—the servant or the Master.

Placing money as our chief goal opens us to many traps and temptations. It’s the love of money, and not money itself, that opens us to evil. The King uses our money to build His Kingdom, but He shouts at you and me that He will never have our hearts until we acknowledge that He owns us and our wealth.

Remember Jesus’ words, “‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).’” Today, we say if you want to know a person’s heart, all you have to do is follow the money.

Paul tells Timothy to flee these things and to fight to live by faith, not by sight. And later in the chapter, Paul addresses the future and why what he has said is so important.

“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 Timothy 6:17-19 

How we use our money on Earth can store up for us treasures in Heaven and so can how we use the rest of our resources, such as time, talents, and influence.

I encourage all of us to do good, be rich in good works, be generous, and be ready to share.

Why? So that you will have His life flowing through you.

And from one rich guy to you other rich folks, “Let’s go for the gold!” Not in this life but in the life to come by using the resources we’ve been given to glorify our Lord in Heaven.

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