Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17 – “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (NRSV)
In certain circles, being wealthy is a mark of shame. People no longer look at the wealthy as people who found success through hard work and determination, but rather who found privilege through their family or socioeconomic background that gave them a leg up over others. This is not to say that successful people are lazy, far from it. It is just that others who put in similar or greater effort into their careers have not found the same success.
Therefore, there is a know against the wealthy that they need to do more for others who have less. But despite the idealism of many people, the system is not built around acts of kindness or generosity. If you do not do everything you can to get ahead, not matter who gets hurt, someone else will do it to you.
This pressure for those with wealth or power to maintain it is what Jesus was talking about when he said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes the word preached to those “among the thorns.” “And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing.” And yet, Jesus did not shun the wealthy as hopelessly lost, but rather those who needed mercy and grace as much as those who were rejected or denigrated by society.
In the First Letter to Timothy, it says that the rich are “not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” The Letter instead recommends that, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”
Being caught up the rat race for success forces us all to make decisions that we may not feel are one hundred percent kind or righteous. But on the back end, after we have earned our recompense, we have an opportunity to do good, to give back a little to those who are needy. More than anything, we need to begin seeing God as what is of ultimate importance in our loves, rather than money. As we move ever more into a secular society, the love of money has taken over from the love of God. Those who have much are easily distracted, but by using their wealth to make the world a better place, they can be part of the solution and part of God’s plan for a just and peaceful world for everyone.
Prayer: God, help me to use what I have worked for to further your purposes in the world. Amen.
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