I Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
Have you ever known a rich, miserable person? Maybe you have known a lot of poor, miserable people. The truth is that you can be rich and miserable, or you can be poor and miserable. You can also be rich or poor and be happy. Your greatest wealth in life is found in what you do and how you live, not in what you have.
I Timothy 6:17 says, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” The Bible mentions those who are rich in this world as a reminder of the fact that whatever money we have has wings and will fly away. Certainly we came into this world with nothing, and we will leave the same way. The warning here is that those who have money in this world are not to be lifted up by their wealth nor trust in uncertain riches.
I can think of no word that more accurately describes riches than the word “uncertain.” When you consider the rise and fall of the stock market and the changing fortunes of people the world over on a weekly basis, you realize how uncertain money can be.
However, I can’t think of a better word in this context for God than the “living” God. What does this living God do? He gives to us. How? He gives to us richly. What does He give? He gives all things. Why? He gives them to us to enjoy. How amazing!
Paul warned in I Timothy 4 about false teachers who taught against meat and marriage. If I think about some of the things that I enjoy on a daily basis, money, meat, and marriage all come to mind. While money cannot ultimately make you happy, I am thankful for the money I have. I am thankful for the pleasure of meals every day, and how I thank God for marriage and the wife God has given me!
So, God has given “us richly all things to enjoy.” That is something you can do regardless of how much you have to enjoy. I’d rather enjoy much than have much. I don’t have to have a lot of money in order to have a rich life.
Verse 18 says, “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” So, regardless of how much money you have today, you are to be rich, ready, and willing. I don’t know how much money you have, but I do know that the amount of joy you have depends on how you steward what you have. Realize that God has given us richly all things to enjoy, and then be a steward of what God has entrusted to you. Be rich, ready, and willing to give.