Riches!

Riches!

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; 1 Timothy 6:17 KJV

I note that the verse here speaks of being Rich IN this world, not OF the world. It tells me that IN is just about ordinary location, physical location and existence, and NOT about actual possession. The devil has long tried to deceive us into thinking we actually own anything. We refer to my house, my car, my investments. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; but actually, do you really OWN them? When stock markets crash, what happens to stock? When there is economic depression, what happens to bank account balances? In the event of a fire, where do all of the 'possessions' go?

One definition of Ownership is the ultimate and exclusive rights and control over something that have been conferred by a lawful claim or title, with the power to use and dispose of without any limitation or restriction. Think about this for a moment: can anything I physically 'own' now be so exclusive that it can be described as exclusive? Before it became mine, wasn't it owned or produced by someone else? Did I not lose something else of value in order to claim it as 'my own'? If indeed I am not the producer of a thing, or the exclusive owner of all materials used to make a thing, can I claim it as 'my own'?

Jesus said it best when He prayed for his disciples, asking God to keep them while they were IN the world, though they were not OF the world. There is a massive difference. People with a clear idea of their location know and understand the place of provisions and materials for the journey ahead of them. The focus is not on possessions, but on the Provider Himself, the one who OWNS all things and gives them out freely to all men to enjoy.

By the way, being highminded means to think too highly of oneself, most likely due to what s/he thinks is owned. As long as the mind has something else as its primary foundation other than God, it is highminded. No man who has God as its sole focus can ever imagine anything or anyone else taking God's place in his/her heart. The reason why we allow other things take root in our hearts could be because we do not yet fully know the God who calls us to trust in Him.

We are called to trust in the living God. He gives us richly ALL things to ENJOY, not own. Is there a difference? Whatever you enjoy becomes evident in your life. Whatever you enjoy becomes a blessing that others can touch or feel. God never intends that we replace Him with anything; He is all we need and He has all that we need. Whatever He has placed in my hands is to be used for my enjoyment, in a way that gives glory back to Him. I use all He has given me with the sober realisation that there is NOTHING under my control today that I can take with me when death comes. So, I am careful to live life well, under God's command, and with an eye on eternity. What of you? His time of favour is here.