How Rich Are You?

If you line all of “us” up (meaning, everyone who reads this post and probably pretty much everyone we know too) based on our financial status, we would all be in the top 10% of the world’s income. Think about that for a minute.

Still not sure? Go to How Rich Am I? at Giving What We Can and enter your information to calculate where you stand with regard to income compared to the rest of the world. Surprised?

Living Rich

Knowing that we are all truly rich, let’s look at what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 about what the “rich” on earth should and should not do with their wealth.

  1. Don’t act superior because you’re wealthy.
  2. Don’t believe, desire, or trust in wealth.
  3. Believe, desire, and trust in God.
  4. Make your good deeds as abundant as your riches.
  5. Distribute your wealth liberally.
  6. Share your wealth to make others comfortable.

The Weymouth New Translation says it this way: “Be beneficent, rich in noble deeds, open-handed and liberal.” Beneficent means “doing good or causing good to be done; conferring benefits; kindly action or purpose.”

Life that Is Truly Life

This portion of 1 Timothy also gives us the benefits of keeping these commands, which is realization that our true treasure exists in heaven where we find “life that is truly life.”

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

In other words, have an eternal perspective. Focus on that which will last into eternity and not on that which will one day cease to exist. So, “life that is truly life” means life that cannot be destroyed and that is completely protected by God. In focusing on the eternal in this life, we focus our hearts on that which will go on forever.