Jump Start # 1159

1 Timothy 6:9 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Those who want to get rich—there is a problem and Paul opens the door to help us see what it is. Our verse is tucked in between two important principles.

The first principles is contentment (v. 6, 8). Paul reminds us that we brought nothing into the world and we take nothing out. We are having grandbabies around us. Love it, love it, love it. We have three. It’s been a while since I have been around babies this much. They need. It takes several to take care of them. They do not come with diapers, bottles or even a name. Every thing is provided for them. It is true that we bring nothing into this world. Paul seems to borrow a thought from the sermon on the mount when he says, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” Be content. That kills the thirst for wanting to be rich. The desire to get rich is quelled by contentment.

The second principle follows. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Many Paul reminds us have walked away from God and been ruined by it. Love money. Love what money does. Those attitudes fuel greed and materialism. We remember the wealthy young man who wanted to follow Jesus. He was told to sell his possessions and follow. He left. He couldn’t do it. He loved money more than he loved Jesus.

This passage is not about bank accounts or the square footage of your house, but your heart. It is the “wanting” to get rich and the “love” of money that is the problem. Can a person be wealthy and please God? Abraham did. Job did. I expect the eunuch in Acts was wealthy. He was the treasurer for the queen and he happened to have his own copy of Isaiah. I doubt that Philip the preacher even had a copy of it. Yes, a person can please God and be wealthy. But money can do things to us. It can change our thinking and it can change relationships.

Our passage is not about wealthy people. It is about the person who wants to be rich. He’s not there, but his heart is. This is a tough one to understand in our times. Money moves the needle. It is the drive for many people. The outrageous incomes of Hollywood stars and professional athletes helps feed this “I wanna be rich.”

Now, for a moment, let’s chase that idea. Why would a person want to be rich? You might be thinking, “come on, Roger, do you really need to explain this? Everyone knows why.” It makes me think of the song from Fiddler on the Roof, “If I was a rich man…”

So what would I do if I were rich? Newer cars, bigger house, work less, more vacations, help some others. Those are the general answers. Nice and safe answers. For me, more ties, more cuff links, more books, more golfing…and a picture is developing. Do you see it? More, more, more. This thirst, is like candy to a kid, you can’t stop. This thirst makes us more selfish and with more stuff, comes more worry. We will worry about someone stealing our stuff. We worry about our stuff losing value. We worry about where to store our stuff. The more we have, the more worries that seem to come with it.

Paul adds in our verse, “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires…” What is he talking about? Temptations and foolish desires? Harmful desires? From wanting to get rich? Absolutely. We tend to do what we want. If our desire is to be rich, then we will pursue that to the end. The temptation to do things dishonest, under the table, break the rules, even illegal things, if it brings riches, is considered. Chasing the “get-rich” schemes, becoming stingy toward others, learning inside tricks from unsavory people who have the same desire and thirst only takes us deeper into trouble and farther away from our Lord. We may wake up one day sitting on a nice boat, but find our hearts are no longer spiritual. We have lost an interest in godly things. We are no longer impressed with God’s people. Sure, we’ve gotten rich, but for some, for many, that journey in getting there, was expensive spiritually. Some have lost their souls.

Before we leave these thoughts, there are two observations.

First, we are rich. We are already there. Look where we are compared to our families just a couple of generations ago. With a flip of a few switches and a turn of a few dials, our dishes are washed, are clothes are cleaned, our food is cooked, our lights come on, our homes are cooled and heated. We can purchase things without leaving our house via the internet. We can send pictures worldwide in seconds. It took our grandparents and great grandparents all day to do the laundry. With some back then, as soon as breakfast was over and cleaned up, it was time to start lunch. Chores were truly chores. My we have it nice today. Our church buildings are cooled, we use the latest technology to send lessons throughout the land. We print, cut and do things fast and beautifully today. I can print a copy of our Jump Start books in seconds, mail them to a reader and they have it in their hand within the same week. Amazing. We are rich.

A trip overseas reminds us how rich we are. The rich man in Luke 16 could not do what we do. If he was considered rich, what are we? Let’s be honest, we are rich. No, we are not Bill Gates level, but we beat the majority of this world. We beat the majority of all people who have ever lived. We live better than every person we read about in the Bible. We can do things that even rich Solomon, with all this servants, could not do. We are rich. It’s a fact. Now, what are we going to do with it? That’s the key. Let it spoil us, ruin us and take us from God or use it for the growth of the kingdom? Use it to spread the word. Use it to share. Use it to make a difference.

Secondly, our passage was based upon “those who want to get rich.” How would this be different if it read, “Those who want to go to Heaven”? What if we had that desire? Our thinking would be saturated with Heaven. We would talk about it. We would surround ourselves with those who thought that way. We would find ways to study up on that. We would put that before all things. Getting to Heaven would be at our core. What a difference it is between wanting to be rich and wanting to go to Heaven.

Parents, when your children are young, be careful what you present before them. Pushing them into sports or careers simply because you make a lot of money, isn’t the best. What are we telling them? We want you to be rich? It is better to find a field that they have a passion for and that they can find a way to help others.

Get rich or get Heaven. Again, these thoughts are not about wealth, it is about the gettin’ part. That inner drive. That which makes us happy or keeps us up at night. What are we after? That’s what this passage is about. Riches, aren’t everything. This is illustrated in the pitiful examples of Hollywood stars and athletes who can’t stay committed in marriage, who ruin themselves with drugs and alcohol and live like idiots. Something is missing. Money isn’t doing it. They are ruining their lives.

The rich Solomon found that the whole of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Solomon knew. It would do well for us if we could know this as well.

Roger