A TOOL NOT A SCORECARD
I Timothy 6:6-19
6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
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. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 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.
The verse: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” is often reduced to “Money is the root of all evil.” Unfortunately, It makes money the problem rather than the way we prioritize our lives. That said, raising questions about what makes a life well lived become particularly vivid when we discuss the uses and importance of money in our lives.
We live fragile lives in an insecure world. From the earliest cave existence to the present, it has been hard to be a creature. In the early days of our evolution, we were small mammals, as often as not the hunted rather than the hunter. Even when we hunted, we had to defend our newly killed food source from other predators. Any sense of safety and future security was tenuous. It is no wonder that part of our evolutionary DNA seeks safety and security.
Unfortunately no amount of intellectual advancement allows us to avoid our fundamental vulnerability in the world. We live in a world in which we can flip a switch and get light or go to a grocery store and get food. Such conveniences mask our dependence. They give us the illusion of self reliance but it only takes one natural disaster to expose us. We ‘know’ these things are true but when all seems to be going well we are likely to get complacent. We are likely to forget the thousands of people who have helped us get what we have. When we lose our sense of place in the world, we make idols of ourselves. We are likely to forget that it is God who has made us and not we ourselves.
Money provides similar insulation from our interdependence in the world. Many of us depend upon our IRA’s and 401k’s to provide us with a sense of security. But though advertised as concern for others (we don’t want to be a burden), most of us, including me, want to be in control. We don’t like the awareness of our ultimate helplessness. But one major dip in the stock market can threaten everything.
In the modern world, money becomes a primary vehicle by which we can convince ourselves we can control our own destiny. Though common, such thinking is idolatrous. Money does not have that power. It can only provide an illusion of security. Empirically, there is nothing safe about being a human creature. The human problem is “How can we find contentment in our vulnerability and ultimate helplessness?. That is the existential and religious question Paul is addressing.
Money can give us position and status in the world and it is tempting to settle for that. But it is not that much different than cocaine—or Doritos. You can feel really good on cocaine. When a person is high, they can do anything. Just ask them. But the high is short lived and addictive. It ends up helping us avoid facing life as it is. Likewise, we can live a long time on Doritos but eventually we will die of malnutrition.
Paul’s counsel is to stay in touch with our place in the world. Money and security have a place—an important place, but Paul writes to remind Timothy: “… we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it…” From that sharp reminder of how the world really is—and the futility of imagining otherwise, Paul goes on to counsel Timothy to follow Jesus. Jesus lived a life that belied the importance of worldly things as indicators of value and worth. Eternal life requires figuring out what is eternal. The example of Jesus is remarkably simple. Jesus loved the person in front of Him—regardless of how the world saw or valued them—even if it was Judas or Pilate.
Such is the life that gives life. It is far different than the physical life we cling to.. Our physical lives will unequivocally end. Trying to hold on to what we have in the physical world is a guaranteed fail. Paul directs Timothy (and us) to shun earthly pursuits as the source of our identity and instead “…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness” in order that we might “Fight the good fight of the faith (and) take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”
It appears to do so, but money cannot add to our identity. As seductive as money and all that it can buy is, Its purpose is to use it “… to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. By global standards, we all are rich—the issue is how we use it. Money is a tool not a scorecard. Paul’s admonition is: “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. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 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.”
These are words I believe but I must admit that I get very anxious about my security in the world. I regularly try to remind myself of where I fit into the creation. I cannot explain my wealth—and by global standards, I am certainly wealthy. Yet I often imagine that if only I had a little bit more, I would feel safer. Trusting in the Lord is a precarious faith that easily turns into a Hallmark card. I, and we, must struggle with where we put our trust in order to keep money in its rightful place in our lives.
. Using money for ourselves is not the issue. Paul reminds us over and over what really matters—mindfulness, regard and love for self and others. We must remember that we are precious in his sight but we are not the only ones who are precious in his sight. It is easy to lose that perspective when we are wealthy. It is easy to let entitlement slip into our thinking. Our lives and our wealth are a blessing we cannot explain. That realization is key to humility and gratitude.
Be grateful for your wealth. Enjoy it. Use it wisely. Let it be so.
