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In a world filled with financial challenges, uncertainties, and deep longings, many seek remedies for their financial pain and answers to their questions in various places. But while the world offers temporary solutions, we believe there is a more profound, lasting prescription for the soul—one that comes directly from the Word of God. The Bible is not just a book of ancient wisdom; it is a living and active source of truth, offering guidance, comfort, and healing for every aspect of our lives, including our personal finances!

Just as a doctor prescribes medicine to restore physical health, the Scriptures provide a divine financial prescription. In the pages of the Bible, we find remedies for financial anxiety, hope for the hopeless, and a path to peace (through generosity) that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Remember, the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), illuminating the way forward in a dark and confusing world—especially when it comes to our money, finances, assets, and resources.

In today’s episode, we will explore Paul’s prescription for those who are rich and how that prescription can transform lives. We invite you to join us on this journey as we open God’s Word and a chapter from Tim’s upcoming book, The Good Steward. Let’s discover God’s perfect prescription for those who are rich— which includes every one of us listening to this podcast today!

 

Paul’s Prescription for the Rich

So, if you and I are whom Paul considers to be “the rich in this present age,” what are we supposed to do? How do we keep ourselves free from the love of money? How do we use our wealth for the glory of God? Let’s look at 1 Timothy 6:17-19 to see what Paul has to say about the matter.

To be clear, the word “rich” is not meant to be negative. Paul does not think that all “rich” people are lazy, selfish, and cold-hearted. For example, Joseph of Arimathea was a man who used his riches to provide the tomb for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. King David and King Solomon were also extremely wealthy. David was considered a man after God’s own heart, and Solomon was one of the wisest men to ever live. Clearly, riches are not bad. Rather, they have the power for great good. 

 

In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul offers five prescriptions for how the rich can honor God with their wealth. The first two prescriptions discuss the things we are to stop doing. The last three prescriptions discuss what we are to start doing. These ideas are similar to others Paul presents elsewhere in his writings (see Ephesians 4:22-24) about “putting off” a particular action or thought pattern, while at the same time “putting on” other new thoughts or actions. These prescriptions are also based on the two greatest commandments. 

Prescription 1: Don’t be Prideful  

“…charge them not to be haughty…” 

—1 Timothy 6:17

 

The Bible teaches that God knows the heart of man: “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind…” (Jeremiah 17:10). Because He does this, he understands how wealth can cause our hearts to grow proud. Prideful hearts cause us to look down on those who have less than we do. It’s too easy to look down on others who live in smaller homes; drive older, more beat up cars; or work menial jobs. Pride is toxic to the culture and mission of the Church. 

To give a specific example, in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, Paul addresses abuses that occurred at the Lord’s Table. The rich were gorging themselves on the best of the food, leaving little to nothing for those who were poor. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” We could go on and on discussing different texts that address the issue of pride, but for now, let’s simply acknowledge that pride is a significant sin. 

In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul uses the word “haughty” to describe the attitude of the rich that needs to come to an end. We are not to be arrogant, selfish, or pompously egotistic when it comes to our wealth. People who earn less than you are not less than you. In fact, there is much that the wealthy can learn from those who have less, such as contentment, peace, faith in God to meet their needs, and finding joy in the little things of life.

When we start to think that we are the source and cause of all our success, we have entered dangerous ground. Whatever blessings you have or success you have achieved comes from God. When we take credit for what God has done, we dishonor Him and harm ourselves. However, when we view all of our success and possessions as a completely undeserved gift from God, we become free to use our wealth in worship of Him and serve to others. 

Prescription 2: Don’t Trust in Your Wealth

“…nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches…” 

—1 Timothy 6:17

 

Our pride causes us to only trust in what we can see and touch. If we see ourselves as the ones who made our wealth possible, then we’re going to attach our feelings of safety and security to our wealth. This means that when things are going well, when the economy is hot, and the stock market is rising, we can feel bulletproof. We think nothing in the world can hold us back. But when the economy weakens, we lose our job, or our portfolio takes a big hit, our confidence ebbs like the tide leaving the shore. This is why Christians are called to stop hoping in the uncertainty of riches. They are temporary and insecure at best. Rather than trusting in God whose steadfast love endures forever (see Psalm 136), we tend to trust in wealth and possessions that are here today and gone tomorrow. If you place all of your hope in money and suddenly it’s gone, where do you turn? Where then, do you place your hope?

How can you tell if you’ve put your hope in the uncertainty of riches? Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How do you feel when the economy enters a recession?
  • What happens in your heart when you learn of layoffs coming to your company? 
  • How do you react when you have a significant unexpected expense or when your spouse doesn’t follow the budget?
  • When the stock market drops, do I become more anxious about the future?
  • Do I feel more secure and confident when the stock market is performing well?
  • When my retirement account balances are lower than expected, do I get upset?
  • Do I feel safer when my retirement account balances are growing?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, use God’s Word to renew your mind and rest in His peace. Don’t let the amount of money in your accounts be your security. Let God be your security!

 

Prescription 3: Trust In God

“…but [set your hopes] on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy…” 

—1 Timothy 6:17

It’s not enough to just stop doing the wrong things. We need to replace old thoughts or actions with new ones. So not only do we need to stop trusting in ourselves and our wealth, we must start trusting in God. This may go without saying, but it’s critical for us to put this into practice. We are to place our hope in God. The word “hope” means a firm expectation, a confidence in the trustworthiness and reliability of that in which you hope. Therefore, placing your hope in God is trusting in God.

Why should we trust in God? Paul offers several compelling reasons in his text. We can trust in God because He “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” Let’s break this down. 

First, our God is rich, not a penny pinching miser. When he meets a need, he does so out of His abundance. It’s no struggle for God to bless us. After all, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). Not only that, God blesses “richly,” which means that he blesses us in ways far better than we deserve. 

Second, notice that it is God who provides. When we credit our own efforts, wisdom, or work ethic for our wellbeing, our confidence can easily be shaken by sickness, layoffs, or other frustrations. However, when we understand that God is the true provider we can face all manner of difficulties and frustrations with confidence that he will continue to provide.  

Third, God cares about our joy. Every blessing given by God is meant to increase our joy and happiness. We are not meant to find joy in the abundance of our possessions, but in the generosity and kindness of the gift giver. We must not allow joy from the material blessings of God to replace our joy in Him and his goodness. The fact that God cares about our joy also indicates that it’s not wrong to be rich, or to have nice things. Neither the rich nor the poor have special standing before God based on account of their wealth. Compared with God, both the “rich” and the “poor” are wretchedly pitiful and impoverished (Revelation 3:17).

Prescription 4: Be Rich in Good Works

They are to do good, to be rich in good works… 

—1 Timothy 6:18

 

In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus explains the two greatest commandments: love God with all that we are, and love our neighbor as ourselves. From this we learn that it’s impossible to have true love for God and not have it result in having greater concern for others, so following the first commandment results in us following the second. In this passage in 1 Timothy 6:18, Paul uses two verbs, “do good” and “be rich” to describe the Good Steward. These two verbs help us see that loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind will change the way that we engage with those around us in two ways. 

First, it will change our actions. We will “do good.” This means that we will use our wealth to help others, rather than to maximize our own luxurious lifestyle. We are to view our wealth as a means of setting us free to do good things for others. This may include taking time off from work to help someone in need, or using our resources to meet the needs of others. For example, we might spend our summer vacation on a mission or service trip. 

Second, it will change our identity. We will “be rich in good works.” Generally, those who are rich want to be known as wealthy. Their identity can be wrapped up in the clothes that they wear or the things they possess. However, the Good Steward understands the need for a new identity. God is rich toward us in how He provides everything to enjoy, and Paul wants those who have experienced God’s generosity to be defined by their generosity toward others. The idea behind “be rich in good works” means much more than just making a donation to the poor. It implies that the rich are to actually get involved in the work. 

When we’re rich in good works, it helps us develop an eternal perspective about money. Being rich in good works doesn’t mean that we occasionally do good; it means that good works are a regular part of our everyday behavior. We should go through life open-handed, not with closed fists. Open hands seek to bless others, and are ready to receive blessings from the Lord. 

A word of caution: as we talk about good works, we aren’t saying that the rich (or anyone for that matter) can earn God’s favor by doing them. We can’t compensate for past failures by doing good or being generous. What God wants is for us to turn to Him in repentance and faith. We are to seek His forgiveness, which is based on His grace, not the amount of good we have done. Good works do not increase our favor with God—they naturally flow out of a heart that has been changed by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

Prescription 5: Be Generous Toward Others

“…to be generous and ready to share…” 

—1 Timothy 6:18

 

The last prescription Paul gives is to be generous. In the Greek, he uses two adjectives to describe what doing good looks like. The first word is translated “generous,” which means to share liberally or freely give. Some of us are concerned that our gifts to the poor will be spent on drugs or alcohol. This fear causes some to never give to people on the street. While this concern is understandable, it can cause us to close our ears to the cries of the poor (Proverbs 21:13). While there is a time and place to give to those on the street, we encourage a more relational approach to helping the poor.  Therefore, we encourage you to find people in your church and community who are in need of help or encouragement, and be a part of God’s plan to meet their needs. 

Consider the following texts: 

  • “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” James 2:15–16 (ESV).
  • “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” 1 John 3:17–18 (ESV).

The second word used by Paul to describe what doing good looks like is translated “ready to share.” In Greek, this is a form of the word koinonia, the word that is often translated to mean “fellowship.” When we share our belongings with others, we enter into a beautiful form of fellowship with them. And when we believe that God shares His wealth with us, we can be free to share our belongings with others.  

While we are called to give, generosity also requires wisdom. There have been many well-intentioned people who do more harm than good when seeking to help those in need. As referenced in chapter 3, the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting Yourself Or Others is particularly helpful when considering working with and serving the poor, and we really believe that this book is crucial for helping the poor effectively. 

Result of the Five Prescriptions

“…thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” 

—1 Timothy 6:19

Some object to generosity, thinking, “When I give to others, there is less for me. If I have $100 and give $25 away, I’ll only have $75 left.” The problem with this perspective is that it assumes your needs will be satisfied by your work and effort, rather than by God. But if we sacrifice for others, we are truly serving God. This objection does not take God at His word when He says in Luke 6:38, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” We are convinced that God will give to you if He knows that He can give through you.  

God always rewards those who are generous. We’ve considered that blessings may very well come in the form of material rewards here on earth. This is confirmed in many passages throughout scripture. But we must not limit our expectation of God’s blessings to be earthly or material things only. The best rewards are those we will have for all of eternity. 

1 Timothy 6:19 teaches us that when the rich follow these five prescriptions, they do something of inestimable eternal value. Rather than depleting their resources, they are storing them up for the future. In fact, we are told that these works are a “good foundation for the future.” However, this does not mean that good works and generosity will secure salvation. Rather, they are investments toward eternal rewards. 

When we consider the objection given above through the perspective of this verse, we  recognize that when we have $100 and give away $25, we are left with $75 on earth, but we’ll have something infinitely more valuable than $25 in the treasury of heaven. The gift of $25 is not an expense, but an investment in eternity. This is what it means to “storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future.” 

When we are freed from the love of money and seek to use what God has entrusted to us for the good of others, we are able to “take hold” of something that has far greater value, namely, a full life found in Christ alone. Those who are the most generous with their time, energy, and resources will have the richest, most joyful lives now and for all eternity. 

Conclusion/Application

As you process the 5 prescriptions for the rich (i.e. you and me) let’s consider the life and ministry of missionary Jim Elliott. He died at the hands of the Waodani tribe in Ecuador, whom he was trying to reach with the Gospel. He was only 28 when he was martyred. Jim knew that he could spend his entire life accumulating possessions in an attempt to protect and improve his life, but in the end, he would still die like everyone else. This realization led him to write the following in his journal a month before his death: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Do you believe that there is a treasure you can’t lose? If so, how do your choices in life reflect this belief? Do your financial and charitable activities reflect this as well? 

As you recognize your own relative wealth and God’s charge for you to trust in Him and do good, consider giving more than a tithe. If God has richly blessed you, look for opportunities to be rich in good works and to put His wealth back into circulation. No amount of effort or money spent for God in service to others will go unrewarded. 

 

 

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