Flourishing as Living Richly, Part 1

Scripture — 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NRSV)

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. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 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.

Devotion

We can have such mixed feelings about wealth. On the one hand, we are fascinated by “the lives of the rich and famous.” On the other hand, we can be resentful and envious of those whose wealth exceeds our own. We might yearn to be rich, even working hard to become so. Yet we might also look down upon the wealthy as self-centered and greedy. Then there are times when we see rich people being exceedingly generous, and we feel confused about wealth.

A passage in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy can help us sort out our thoughts and feelings about riches. It speaks directly to “those who in the present age are rich.” But it also has divine guidance for those of us who may not think of ourselves as rich.

By speaking to “those who in the present age are rich,” 1 Timothy implies that there is a different kind of wealth that we will experience in the age to come. But Paul, the author of 1 Timothy, doesn’t develop this suggestion here. Rather, he exhorts those who are rich to live in a way that reflects a distinctive understanding of wealth. He does so by repeatedly using some version of the word meaning “riches” or “wealth,” plutos in Greek (related to the English word “plutocracy”). The first instance comes in the phrase I just mentioned, “those who in the present age are rich [plousios]” (v. 17).

The second instance appears in the phrase, “command them not . . . to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches [ploutos]” (v. 17). No doubt, those who are wealthy can easily do this, thinking confidently about their future because they have ample resources to cover all anticipated expenses. But even those of us who are “middle class” can set our hopes on our financial reserves, especially when we’re thinking about retiring from paid employment. We can put our trust in what we have saved and what we are promised from the government. In so doing, we can ignore the “uncertainty” of our nest egg, ignoring the fluctuations of the economy and concerns about the future of Social Security.

But if we don’t set our hopes on tangible riches, where should we put our hopes instead? The rest of verse 17 answers this question: “command them not . . . to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches [ploutos], but rather on God who richly [plousiōs] provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Though our riches may let us down, God will not. God doesn’t just provide for us, but “richly” provides. We have riches in God that will not fail. Moreover, these riches are not just for our basic needs, but also for “our enjoyment.” Of course, some of the greatest joys God gives us don’t cost money. They come from the “riches” of family, friends, and faith.

Those who are rich are urged “to do good, to be rich in good works” (v. 18). We can readily grasp the “doing good” part of this sentence, but what about being “rich in good works”? What does this mean? 1 Timothy answers this question in the next phrase, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share” (v. 18). God has entrusted financial riches to us so that we might share them generously with others.

Now, you might be tempted to object, “But I am not rich. I don’t have much to share.” That may indeed be true. But it’s worth noting that compared to the rest of the world, most of us are very well off. You might even say that we are rich. Some of us do indeed have abundant resources. But even if our material possessions are limited, we can still be rich in good works through our embodied generosity. We can share not only what we have in worldly goods, but also so many other precious things. We can give generously of our kindness. We can listen attentively and with empathy. We can pray for the sick and visit those in prison. We can lift up the downtrodden and embrace the brokenhearted. We can help our colleagues and love our neighbors. We can do good work that glorifies God and serves people. For all of us, living richly isn’t a matter of what we have, but of what we give. When we give richly, we live richly. And when we live richly, we flourish.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain (1 Timothy 6:3-10, 17-19).