Richly Provides

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

Being rich sounds great!  And while that has never been one of my goals in life, I wouldn’t mind trying it out for a day.  Oh wait!  Compared to most of the world, I am rich. I am blessed with a house, a mattress as my bed, running water, food at my fingertips, transportation and a number of accessories that are only considered necessary here in the USA.   Being born in America has already blessed me above someone born in a third world country.  The sheer fact that I was born here gives me a head start.  The world tells us to “accumulate more, get as much as you can, make as much as you can,” but God has never said any of that.  Wealth doesn’t just come from our own hard work, but from God above who has allowed the gift of wealth to some.  It’s important to realize that in His goodness wealth is given to be used in a way that glorifies Him.  The attitude of the heart is what is important to the Lord no matter if your bank account balance proves you wealthy, or not.  No one has the right to be proud of what they have; it all comes from God.  We have to be careful to not pride ourselves on being a “self made” man.  There is no such thing.  That is a vile and abhorrent view of life in God’s eyes.  To become greedy and work hard towards a self made wealthy attitude is to forget who your dependence really should lie with.  When you start developing an attitude of self-reliance and self-dependance you are starting down a road that may just leave Christ behind.  Don’t do that!  Enjoy your blessings, be generous and be mindful that it’s all God’s.  Give Him the glory. ~ Amen