August 25 | How Much Stuff is Enough?
1 Timothy 6:17, “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.”
You can own and enjoy as much as you desire as long as it doesn’t lead you to sin.
God gives us many things in life to enjoy, however, they are never to be made idols, cause spiritual distraction, encourage greed or lead us away from keeping His commands.
Sometimes people think that because the Bible speaks of generosity and sacrifice that owning nice things is sinful. Certain Roman Catholic monks promoted this kind of “poverty mentality” in the Dark Ages and took vows of poverty to try and prove their love for God. They would even look down on those who married and purposefully wore uncomfortable clothes and gave themselves distasteful haircuts (think of “Friar Tuck”).
One on hand, it’s true the Bible speaks of Jesus not having a place to lay his head, Paul being without money at times and the poor being among those in the church. On the other hand, the Bible gives many examples of people who had great wealth and served God. Consider Moses’ description of Isaac in Genesis 26:12-13, “12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.”
The real problem with money is not having it, but rather letting money have you. The ole’ timers used to say, “Give God your wallet, not just your heart!” Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:10, “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.” Therefore, it’s not money itself that is the issue but the love of money that is the sin.
John wrote in 1 John 2:16-17 that if we love the world, God’s love really isn’t in us, “16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
So what is the difference between having nice things while enjoying your life and loving the world in pride? Your heart. For some people, they can make a million dollars; be tithers, help the poor and have nice things without being greedy and worldly. For other people, they may just have $10 and covet what their neighbor has and keep all their money to themselves without even being tithers.
It’s not the amount money or the kind of things you own that determine if you’re greedy, but rather your heart (Matthew 15:18-19). Ask God to show you your heart and to remove any greed, lust of the eyes or selfishness you may have. Then, after you have prayed, follow Paul’s advice in today’s passage and make all you can so that you can be rich in giving. Enjoy whatever is left because the Lord wants you to always have more than enough (Deuteronomy 14:26).
Reflection
Action
- Repent if you love the things of this world.
- Be rich in giving and helping others.
- Enjoy all that God has given you with a clear conscience.