1 Timothy 6:17




'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.'




If you look at the world’s stock markets over the past century you will know exactly what the apostle Paul meant! Money is completely unreliable. The 1920s were a time of huge economic expansion. Known as the Roaring Twenties, they saw the advance of many technological innovations including radio, the automobile, aviation and the telephone. But the growth was unsustainable and, in the great crash of 1929, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 40 percent of its value, leading to the deep economic depression of the 1930s. It caused incredible misery for millions of people. More recently, the crashes of 1987 and 2008 saw massive losses on stock markets around the world, with huge implications for the global economy. Paul wasn’t telling his friend Timothy that it was wrong to have money, but simply that it was ridiculous to place your trust in it. It simply isn’t reliable. It never has been, and it never will be.




Only God is completely trustworthy. Paul’s advice to those people who had money was to use the privilege of wealth to do good. He encouraged them to be rich in good works and generous to those in need. In that way, they would show that their faith was in God and not in their bank balance.
If you have great wealth, give thanks to God for his wondrous provision in your life. But make sure that you never allow riches to win your trust and devotion. These are such wise words for our money-mad society. We are continually fed the lie that a lottery win will put smiles on our faces and solve all our problems. We need to keep our eyes fixed on God, the only one who has the power to give us all that we need for our enjoyment. Whether we have lots of money or very little, we can find fulfilment and joy if our lives are focused on God.




Question: How has Paul’s teaching challenged your own thinking about money?
Prayer: Lord God, help me to rely upon you completely, and never to place my trust in money and possessions. Amen

Released on 5 Oct 2022