Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

All Scripture should mean more to us than anything else, but sometimes passages of Scripture hit home more when our circumstances are more relevant. With the cascading effects of economic crisis moving from supply chains and interest rates to market volatility and failing banks, Paul’s words of warning to Timothy are much more stark and meaningful!

• We came into the world empty-handed and we’ll leave that way (1 Tim. 6:7).
• We should be content with basic necessities like food and covering (1 Tim. 6:8).
• We invite disaster when we want to get rich and we love money (1 Tim. 6:9-10).
• We need to run away from materialism (1 Tim. 6:11).
• We had better not get arrogant about how much we have (1 Tim. 6:17).
• We should not attach our hope to uncertain riches (1 Tim. 6:17).
• We should trust God rather than ourselves to take care of our needs (1 Tim. 6:17).
• We should use our wealth to serve God and how He wants us to use it (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

That is quite a challenging list of demands God makes on our spiritual lives. It runs contrary to human nature, self-reliance, and the pride we take in creating and preserving wealth. Some who trust in material things never have to endure an economic crisis in this life, but awaken in eternity to see how costly their approach is (Luke 12:16-21; 16:19-25). Many are blessed to lose the money they “banked” on in time to repent and amend their unhealthy or unholy attitude toward things.

Jesus warned, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).

Neither Jesus nor Paul warn about the having of wealth, but rather the wanting, loving, and trusting of it. Whether or not the current economic issues are a canary in a coal mine of an impending breakdown, it is an opportunity for us to be reminded that we should invest our hope and trust in God rather than wealth (Matt. 6:24). It is an object lesson about not trusting what is here today and gone tomorrow and will, in the end, be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10-11)!