1 Timothy Chapter 6
By Pastor Chris
RICHIE RICH
Are you wealthy?
Given the current state of our nation’s economy many people would answer this question with a big fat NO! Think about that question again for a moment.
Do you have a solid home to live in?
Do you own a car?
Do you eat three meals a day?
Do you have a television?
I do not know how much you make annually, but taking the average American income of $46,000 for 2010 and calculating where one would rank in the world’s wealthiest people would place someone with this salary as the 45,557,670 richest person in the world! (Check your ranking at http://www.globalrichlist.com) This puts them in the TOP 0.75% worldwide. Think about it, you are probably in the top 1% of the richest people in the world!
In 1 Timothy 6 Paul says this,
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. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 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.
Paul is speaking to those who find themselves lucky enough to be considered “wealthy” in this present world. Whether you feel like it or not, you likely fall into this category. His warning to us is to not grow comfortable in our wealth. Instead, we are to be rich in good deeds and generous in our sharing. When we put our hope in God, and not our wealth, we are able to be a blessing to those around us (or worldwide) who are in need.
Did you realize that,
$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.
$30 could buy you an TV Show’s DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.
$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
$2400 could buy you a 3D TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.
