1 Timothy 6:17-19 17Instruct those who are rich in this present age not to be proud or to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who abundantly supplies to us all things for enjoyment,
Paul returns to the theme of wealth he discussed in verses 6-10, focusing not on the false teachers but in general to those who are rich, referring to the Christians in Ephesus. God blesses people with wealth. It is tempting to become proud that wealth comes from our own doing. Having comforts that wealth provides can cause believers to put their hope in these things and not God. These things can take over our lives and blind us to the deeper spiritual wealth we have through faith in Jesus.
Wealth is uncertain and can be taken away in a moment. Why hope in something that is fleeting and temporary? The word hope (ēlpikenai) is a rare perfect tense infinitive that emphasizes the temporal nature of wealth. Hoping in riches has an uncertain future, even though people think it will last forever. People live like there is no tomorrow, but they cannot take their wealth with them past death. The perfect tense infinitive extends to putting one’s hope in God, and this hope continues.
Wealth is a gift from God, who gives us many things to make life enjoyable. Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 gives us a realistic view about our possessions. We should enjoy life and all that it provides. Someone may be tempted to think that Christians must be misers living in misery as poor paupers. It is true that the gospel calls us to give to those in need, and this may be great sacrifice for us. But the Bible is also clear that God blesses and cares for his people. It is a matter of priority. As stewards, we realize that all we have is a gift from God. God may ask us to give our possessions to those in need, and so we must be willing to obey. Enjoy the blessings of life, God intends for his children to be happy in this world. Sin in the form of greed and abuse gets in the way and creates many heartaches for us and the people around us, who may be in great need.
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