Of
course, there is great gain in Godliness, combined with contentment;
As for those who in the present age
are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the
uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything
for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good
works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for
themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may
take hold of the life that really is life. 1Timothy 6:6, 17-19
There was a very rich
man who decided that it was time for his young son to see and understand just
how poor people really lived. So he invited his son to go into the country and
spend a weekend with him, with a family.
After they returned
from the weekend trip, the man sat down with his son and questioned him as to
what he found out about how poor people really lived.
The son began by
saying: We have a big, beautiful house
with lots of rooms…but they have a log cabin.
We have a huge pool that goes to the edge of our property on all
sides…but they have a crystal clear creek that has no end. We have a nice brick patio that encircles our
house…but they have a porch with a swing. We have beautiful outside lights that
come on automatically at dusk to light up the whole outside of the house…but
they have a canopy of stars that come out at dusk to light their whole
world. We attend church in a huge brick
building with many rooms and sit in cushioned pews, listening to a magnificent
pipe organ…but when we attended church with this family, it was in a one-room
wooden building with wooden benches and one old piano. Yes, I get your drift now…I can see how a
poor family really lives and we are really poor. They have everything and we
have nothing.
Sometimes we need the
humbling insight of a small child to see how really rich we are. We fall into the age-old trap believing that
money and riches solve all our problems when all we ever need is Jesus Christ.
