Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 

Sharing God’s gift with glory

Bible Reading:  1 Timothy 6: 17 - 21

Key verse:  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.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭

DEVOTION

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, instructions were given to guide rich believers in the early church to be good stewards of the wealth entrusted to them. There is a responsibility attached to the gift God gives us, to share with the needy. We will be held accountable for our stewardship. This passage handles the spiritual dangers of hoarding wealth; arrogance, reliance on wealth than God, hope in the temporal, condescending attitude towards the poor, our love for money becomes our idol etc…The Lord is not against acquiring wealth but our attitude towards it matters, we must not make it our idol, giving it priority more than the Giver. All the wealth belongs to God, we are only stewards. God expects us to utilize our treasures for the betterment of society, by being charitable. He loves a cheerful and generous giver.
Hoarding wealth can be dangerous and deceptive. Are we relying on our bank account for security? We can have misplaced hope in money that has the possibility of crashing. It is uncertain as the financial markets and circumstances can fluctuate. When we lose money in unwise earthly investments, it can make man depressed to the point of committing suicide. Wealth can make us live in anxiety, as it can be stolen or lost. Money cannot guarantee us security, only God can. He is our Foundation, our Rock, our Refuge. It is foolishness to place our trust in our possessions.
God wants us to be a channel of His blessings to flow through. There must an outlet, that pleases God. Donate for good causes. We must be open handed to the poor rather than be greedy and hoard it. Sharing our treasures reflects the nature of God. It is a proof of our transformation, becoming more Christlike.
God created us with a soul that will live forever, even after we die, it will exist in heaven or hell. Riches must be used as an eternal or heavenly investment where no one can destroy it. Remember that wealth or the ability and skill to earn it is a gift from God. He gives us gifts with a purpose. God is the Creator of the rich and poor alike. The same Spirit that lives in the poor lives in the rich, so never look at the poor with contempt. See the poor as an opportunity to invest in heaven. By hoarding, we cannot carry our riches to heaven when we die to invest. We lose the window of opportunity to invest in heaven or eternity at death. The poor when helped will glorify God and bless us. This will become an opportunity to point the needy to the Giver, rather than take credit for one’s service. We must not announce our donations or we will lose our eternal reward. We are called to live as pilgrims on earth.
Obedient to God, Jeremiah invested in a field in Anathoth, he would likely never enjoy in his lifetime, knowing the captivity would last 70 years. This encourages believers to invest time, energy, and resources into God's kingdom and future generations, even without expecting immediate, personal payoffs.

PRAYER

Lord open our eyes to see the sharing of our wealth as an investment in heaven. Use us as conduits for your blessings to flow through. Our hope is in You alone. Amen.
Word for the day: Our faithfulness on earth as stewards of the treasures entrusted to us will result in rewards in Heaven.

Thought for the DAY

God has gifted each one of us with many gifts. Are we using them properly to glorify Him,

Chacko Varughese
Epiphany MTC, New York.