1 Timothy 6:17: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1 Timothy 6 stresses the danger of having a bad attitude toward material things. After warning about those who suppose that “gain is godliness” (1 Tim. 6:5), stating “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare” (verse 9), and declaring “the love of money is the root of all evil” (verse 10), the Holy Spirit through Paul gave a “charge” for the rich.
He first charged that the rich should not be “highminded.”
Those who are rich can have a temptation to view themselves more highly than those who are poor. The thought is “I must be [smarter/better/etc] than those who have less than I do.” Credit is given to oneself for acquiring riches.
Notice how harmful this mindset was for King Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar was referred to as God’s servant (Jer. 25:9; 27:6; 43:10) because God used him to carry out a purpose. In carrying out that purpose, God allowed the king to be among the richest men of his time.
Yet, Nebuchadnezzar credited himself for these riches. As he walked in the palace of Babylon in Daniel 4:30, “the king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”
Nebuchadnezzar’s high-mindedness led him to be punished by God (Dan. 4:32-33). This example demonstrates the significance of taking seriously the Holy Spirit’s charge not to be highminded.
The second charge given to the rich in 1 Timothy 6:17 is that they should not “trust in uncertain riches.”
Jesus demonstrated how “uncertain” earthly riches are in Matthew 6:19 when He commanded “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” Riches can be here one day and gone the next. Centering one’s hope on these things is foolishness (cf. Luke 12:16-21).
The point is not that God condemns having earthly wealth. Some of His most faithful servants in the Old Testament were wealthy (Job 42:12), and some of Jesus’ disciples are wealthy (cf. Matt. 27:57).
The point is that God warns about dangers associated with earthly riches, that come from wrong attitudes toward them.
Whether rich or poor, we must be content with what we have (Heb. 13:5). We must be humble and thankful. We must set our affection on things above (Col. 3:2). We must be “rich in good works” (1 Tim. 6:18).
May we heed God’s warnings and commands concerning earthly riches.
– Michael Hickox