Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
“The first danger to which the wealthy are exposed is pride. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant. The Old Testament clearly warned people of this [Deuteronomy 8:14; Ezekiel 28:5]. Wealth often gives birth to vanity. It tends to make people feel self-important, and so contemptuous of others. Wealthy people frequently boast of their house, furniture, car, yacht, or other possessions.
The second danger to which the rich are exposed is a false security. Command those who are rich in this present world not … to put their hope in wealth. To do so is foolishly short-sighted. For one thing, wealth is uncertain. Jesus warned us of the ravages of moth, rust, and burglars [Matthew 6:19; Proverbs 23:5] and we would want to add fire and inflation as further hazards. Many people have gone to bed rich and woken up poor.
For another thing, the proper object of our human trust is not a thing but a Person; not wealth but God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. This is an important addition. We are not to exchange materialism for asceticism. On the contrary, our God is a generous Creator, who wants us to appreciate the good gifts of creation. If we consider it right to adopt an economic lifestyle lower than we could command, it will be out of solidarity with the poor, and not because we judge the possession of material things to be wrong in itself.
The two dangers, then, to which the rich are exposed area false pride (looking down on people less fortunate than themselves) and a false security (trusting in the gift instead of the Giver). In this way wealth can spoil life’s two paramount relationships, causing us to forget God and despise our neighbor.”
John R.W. Stott in The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus (TBST; Downers Grove: IVP, 1996) 161.
What stands out afresh to me today as I look at these two dangers — false pride and false security — is the impact they have on our relationship with God and our neighbor.
And if we think about it further, God’s command is for us to use the resources He supplies. People ask me how to avoid the dangers of wealth, and I often recount the childhood game, hot potato.
We lose if we hold on to or drop the ball or whatever else represents the potato. That means that when God blesses us with resources, we need to use them wisely (enjoyment and sharing) and not hold on to them.
Notice the only way to avoid the false pride and false security is to put the wealth to work. If you have wealth. See it as a hot potato. We only lose if we drop it or are found holding it.
And the loss is great. It impacts our walk with God and our journey with others. Remember, the way to avoid this is to enjoy and share God’s blessings. No wonder it comes as a command.