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When you think of “Luxuries” what comes to your mind? Excess, abundance, extravagance? If you have been a regular listener of this podcast, you have undoubtedly heard us talk about enjoying what God has given us, including those things that we could call “luxuries”. A good, and clear passage of Scripture that speaks directly to this is 1 Tim. 6:17, which says:

“…God richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”  —1 Timothy 6:17

This outline is based off of the manuscript of The Good Steward, a forthcoming book written by Tim and Roy Russell.

 

In 1 Timothy 6, we see that God is the giver of all good things–including luxuries. This means that luxuries aren’t a bad thing, but they shouldn’t be our top priority.  

So, what is a luxury?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word luxury is defined as “a) something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary; b) an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease.” A luxury is not truly essential to your survival—the main idea is that a luxury is a “nice to have,” not a “need to have.”

Let’s talk about and break down this definition…

a) something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary;

This seems like a very good synopsis of what a “luxury” is.  “Not necessary.” I.e. I can do life easily without it!  Can it make life, or some aspects of life a little nicer or easier? Or as the definition says, more comfortable or pleasurable?  Yes, and that is what a luxury is in the truest sense of the definition.

b) an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease.”

Indulgence…a way to explain this word used in the definition is: extravagant, excess, over-the-top, spoiling, pampering, and the list can go on.  It is a “it makes me feel good,” or better said, “it makes me feel GREAT.”

So what could be some solid and relatable examples of luxuries?

 

Examples of Luxuries

  • Eating out at nice restaurants or picking up very nice take out instead of eating at home.
  • The 98 inch TV with surround sound to watch the Philadelphia Eagles play football.
  • The ultra cool $3000 pair of sneakers that are all the rage today…
  • Having all the streaming services that you would like…
  • Owning a new top-of-the-line Tesla…
  • Owning a soon-to-be released new Tesla Cyber Truck (with 4-wheeler)
  • Other items that would be nice to have, but are not necessary for life and living.

Now, you may be thinking that NOPE! That is not me, I am not going down that road. YET, we see in Scripture that we are allowed to have luxuries, and actually God wants to prosper us and make us successful!

 

Biblical Understanding of Luxuries

  • Wealth and blessings flow from God!
    • Josh 1:8 – “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
      • The word “prosper” here is also the same word used in 2 Chron. 31:21
        • In everything that he (King Uzziah) undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21, NIV84).  
          • I.E. As long as King Uzziah sought Yahweh, God was the one that made him prosper
        • “Also, we see that Joseph is called a prosperous man, for Yahweh turned all of his misfortunes into benefit for Jacob’s sons (Gen 39:2–3, 23)”.
  • Hartley, John E. “1917 צָלֵַח.” Ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament 1999: 766. Print.
    • The basis of “prosperity/success,” according to the full understanding of the Hebrew word for our English word “prosper,” is WITH WISDOM…knowing and living out the Word of God in your life!  It is not just having prosperity…but it has a “WISDOM from the Lord” which brings about this prosperity…this success.
      • Thus…“this Book of the Law” not departing from the heart and mouth, along with Godly wisdom, brings about this prosperity and success for the individual.
  • Ps. 1:1-4 – “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers…”
    • Fruit, vitality, and prosperity flow from and out of a person’s “roots” being in the Word. 
  • 2 Chron. 26:4-5 – “He (Uzziah) sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” 
    • Seeking the Lord, in the truest form that a person can, along with seeking HIS wisdom, is known and blessed by God, and specifically blessed with success!

 

God is the one who gives wealth

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. (Eccl. 5:19 NIV84)

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:18, NIV84)

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things… (1 Chronicles 29:12, NIV84)

 

The good, the bad, and the ugly of wealth & luxuries

    • Wealth is to be enjoyed (1 Tim 6:17b)
    • Wealth is to be shared (1 Tim 6:18)
    • Wealth can yield eternal rewards (1 Tim 6:19)
  • but…
    • Wealth can be destructive to the soul (1 Tim 6:9-10)
    • The longevity of wealth is not guaranteed (1 Tim 6:17)

 

When does a Necessity Become a Luxury?

We all know that a ‘necessity’ is just that; something that is absolutely necessary for us to live. But when does a necessity become a luxury (something that is ‘nice to have’, not ‘need to have’)?

The definition could be simple…Luxury doesn’t mean bad. It just means a non-necessity. 

Historically, back in the 1990’s, having dial up internet was a luxury. Nobody NEEDED a cell phone or internet. But at some point, society decided that the internet and cell phones have become de-facto necessities. Here’s something to think about: Are cell phones actually needed nowadays? Are they necessities or luxuries? Another part of the equation is, the cell phone is a necessity for certain people in certain circumstances. 

How can we discern whether or not something I have is a necessity or a luxury?

  • Does your livelihood depend on it?
  • Does your family rely on it?
  • Could I survive without it?

Here is a very important Reminder: Luxuries are not bad. But, is there a crossover point?  Specifically, there is a question that should be processed by everyone at one or more points in their life…When do Necessities become Luxuries? 

Here are some examples to think through…

  • The example of Christian Asceticism – Christians should never enjoy anything nice and give away all extra resources to charity, feed the poor, and evangelize. This lifestyle is actually contradictory to what we find Scripture. Specifically 1 Timothy 6.
  • The example of the CEO. What about the CEO who makes 1,000,000 a year and buys a $100,000? Is that a luxury? Well he spent a lot less, proportionately, on the car than someone who makes $50k/year buying a $45k car. It was within his means. The CEO could have given away $150,000 a year to charity. But folks are often upset that he spent that much money on a car.

The problem with the aforementioned question is that it can’t be answered simply. But a broad answer to that question is this…the crossover point is context-dependent. 

There are probably certain types of items or possessions that are always and, in every situation, going to be considered a luxury. But there are many, many things that will slide back and forth between the spectrum of luxury versus necessity based on the context of the person who owns them, their life context, and the society in which they live.

It depends.

We are NOT asking, ‘When do things become bad?’ …. We are asking, ‘When do things become luxuries?’ 

In a future episode, we will address when luxuries become a bad thing. But before we get there, we need to ask a question about joy. Specifically, does God care about YOUR joy? We’ll look at that question next week.

 

Stewardship Application:

God is the one that gives!  And it is He that chooses to bring prosperity and success to the children of His choosing.

God is not obligated to provide material blessings to His children, though often He does. At this point, it will be helpful to remember where luxuries fit into the Five Biblical Financial Priorities. Keep in mind, luxuries are not our first priority,  they are our fifth priority. 

If you are new to our podcast or you are not familiar with Life Institute’s (our nationwide teaching and preaching division) Five Biblical Financial Priorities, it would be good for you to learn about them by going to https://stewardologypodcast.com/priorities/.  Here is a quick refresher of the five…along with a word of admonition.

  • First, if we are not giving to the Lord, we have no room for luxuries.
  • Second, if we are not saving for our family, we have no room for luxuries.
  • Third, if we are not spending (meeting our financial obligations), we have no room for luxuries.
  • Fourth, if we are not budgeting for offerings, we have no room for luxuries, which is our fifth financial priority.

It’s important for us to identify the expenses in our lives that are luxuries. When finances are tight, we shouldn’t be going out to eat. We shouldn’t spend money on cable TV or streaming services or binge shop online. We may need to steer clear of subscription services while we save. These things are all nice to have, but they aren’t essential for our survival. We can’t manage our finances and become good stewards if we prioritize having cable over paying the mortgage.

Remember, our good financial stewardship should meet the needs of our family…by providing for them today, in the next months, years and in our golden years if the Lord tarries on His glorious return.

Luxuries are good and right to have…for they are a blessing from the Lord!  But remember, they are not the first financial priority… As we first honor the Lord by giving back to Him and His Church, watch what He can, and most likely will, do to meet your needs and even provide over the top to be a blessing to you, and your family.

 

Next Steps

 

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