Enjoy!
June 26, 2020
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT
It is said that if you ask even the Americans in the highest tax bracket how much more money they would need to really enjoy life, they would say, “Just a little bit more.” I don’t know if that’s completely true, but I do know that most us of think more money would help us, and therefore we would enjoy life more. Paul advises Timothy to teach people just the opposite. He says never trust in money because it is so unreliable—here today, gone tomorrow. Anything from a change in the general economy to a job loss to a catastrophic event can change our financial circumstances. Even something as unexpected as the COVID-19 virus has cost entire restaurant chains their future and many individuals their livelihood. Money is a poor and untrustworthy provider.
On the other hand, says Paul, God is the Source. He richly (generously from an abundant supply) gives us all we need for our enjoyment (not just enough to get by, not just bare necessities). That’s far more than money. You know that money can’t truly satisfy. All the money in the world can’t make you happy if you are lonely. It is powerless against illness. The things that break our hearts and make life hard to bear come to rich and poor alike. But when we trust God, He is able to provide true enjoyment, peace, and joy even in the hardest circumstances.
Like Paul, I am a witness. I have had so many hard things happen to my life that money couldn’t touch. But God did. In my darkest moments, the Source of all joy gave me just what I needed. So, what good is money, anyway? After we use it wisely to live, it can help us work with God to multiply enjoyment as we use it to do good. We get “rich” through our good deeds—rich in joy, satisfaction, and the pleasure of God. We influence people toward God through our generosity. As we are “always ready to share with others,” God does great things for us and them as well.
- Evaluate your source of enjoyment. Do you depend on things other than God? How could you build a better foundation for your future life?
- Set some goals today.