Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Rich in Good works
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (18)
One day a fairy came to a man and told him that she would grant him any favor he might wish. The man thought for few minutes and said, “My wish is to see a newspaper that will be published one year from today.” Immediately the fairy handed him a newspaper printed one year in advance. He turned quickly to the financial page, ran his fingers through the list of stocks, and leaping from the chair shouted, “Hurrah, I am worth fifteen million dollars!” Then carelessly turning over to the obituary page, his glance fell on a report that made him gasp. “I died two days ago.” What good is that money for him! The uncertainty of life makes riches uncertain.
What are the hindrances to the kingdom of God?
Salvation through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is central to the gospel message. The gospel of the Kingdom of God tells us that Jesus Christ will set up His Kingdom on the Earth with His resurrected saints to give everyone the opportunity for eternal life. God desires everyone to inherit the Kingdom of God (2 Peter 3:9). What are the hindrances to the Kingdom of God? There are several obstacles such as neglect or carelessness in our Christian walk and neglect to do things that we know we should be doing. We may become careless because we take our focus off the Kingdom of God and focus on the pleasures of this world. Another obstacle in following God is alcohol abuse and drunkenness. Some people abandon following God because of bitterness to others and to God. Another distracter could be our pride and confidence by thinking that we do not need God.
The deceitfulness of riches is another potential obstacle to following God. Being wealthy is not wrong. Wealth must be a servant and not a master. We must not “set our hope on the uncertainty of riches…..but upon God.” (1Tim 6:17). Why not trust in riches? Because they are so uncertain! Solomon, who had plenty of experience with wealth said, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich……..for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Prov. 23: 4 & 5). Life itself is uncertain and wealth cannot be possessed after death.
How can we enter the Kingdom of God?
In 1 Timothy 6:18, Paul is asking us to be rich in good works. We should be shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices that cause it. Those of us who live in affluence must accept our duty to develop a simple life style in order to contribute more generously to charity and evangelism. The “wealth” that we possess imposes a heavy responsibility on us to give and serve the needy. We must be rich in good deeds such as ministering to the needs of the people, helping, loving and caring.
The Bible, throughout its pages teaches proportionate giving, that is giving a generous portion of our income. Many of us are not aware of the purpose of our working is to be able to share our earnings with people in need. When we are rich in good works and generous with our money we do two things as given in verse 19: (1) we are storing our treasures in heaven (2) we are laying a strong foundation in the Kingdom of God. May the heavenly Father enable all of us to live a life acceptable to Him!
Prayer: Our heavenly Father, help us to be attentive to the needs of our fellow human beings. Help to be rich in good deeds and store our treasures in heaven! We ask in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
Thought for the Day: Being rich in the kingdom is the greatest richness.
Mathew P. George, St. Johns MTC, NY.