Commentary from Papa JoeMac:
#192 - Stewardship - 1 Timothy 6:10-13;17-19; Phillippians 4:10-13; Matthew 6:33“Riches!” Oh what a wonderful sound to the human ear! How many times have you thought “If only I had the money, I would…and…and…and….”? “Riches” are almost always defined in terms of money and material things. King Solomon lamented over the riches that he had accumulated and in the end, called it all meaningless. We see proof of King Solomon’s words today. There are many times when people get ‘lucky’ one day and win the lottery. Within a short time, their lives are disasters. Divorces, arguments among family members, development of addictive habits, etc. often result whereas if there had been no material “riches”, their lives would have been much better without the money!
When Warren Buffet – an extremely wealthy man - gave a huge amount to charity, he stated there was more than one way to get to heaven and giving money was a great way to do it. I feel sorry for Warren Buffet. If he meant that, he’s lost because he doesn’t get it. God doesn’t need Warren’s money – or mine or yours. God smiles at our obedience when we give with a cheerful heart and spirit. We can’t buy our way to heaven. Most of us will never be wealthy in the material sense, but God makes it possible for ALL of us to ‘get rich in good deeds’.
In today’s financial climate with the stock market losing hundreds of points each day those who put their trust in God – not money – are the folks who sleep soundly at night. Those who put their trust in money pace the floor worrying over their “fortunes” instead of sleeping. A friend of mine stated that his retirement account had lost 2 years of growth and he now understood why people jumped to their deaths, after having lost all their money during the Great Depression. How sad that my friend thinks of life as meaningless without ‘material riches’.
So, if earthly riches are ‘meaningless’, what riches are worth pursuing and why? If salvation by grace is true then why have a commentary on good deeds and being “rich” with them? Because performing good deeds is a natural result of salvation by grace. Doing good deeds reflects what is important to us because it shows we understand that God has given us eternal life as a simple, free gift and we appreciate it. But, if people, objects, earthly goals, and desires are our top priorities and we are not actively doing “good deeds”, we need step back and evaluate where we have placed God in our priority list.
“Deeds” are good when they come from a believing heart filled with faith and love. “Deeds” are good when letting God work through us is their object. “Deeds” are good when God’s will is their only rule. “Good deeds” express gratitude in the believer’s heart and are fruits of the spirit. “Good deeds” performed by us as reflections of our love for Christ become our “riches”. How wonderful that our ‘good deeds’ are ‘our riches in heaven’!
Jesus did one thing (well many things!) but one thing in particular that really stands out. Jesus rejected passivity! Jesus didn’t just talk about healing folks – He did it! Jesus didn’t just talk about turning water to wine – He did it! If we want to be like Him, we must have an active faith. We need to DO what we know is right. We need to take ACTION; not be spectators. We naturally do “good deeds” if we follow our Savior’s example.
We all do not possess great ‘riches’ by the world’s definition, but if we draw on Christ’s power for strength, we learn to rely on God’s promises through Christ’s power. He will supply all our needs, but in a way He knows is best for us. The Apostle Paul had his priorities straight and was grateful for everything God had given him. Paul detached himself from the nonessentials so that he could concentrate on the eternal.
To “make the Kingdom of God our primary concern” means to put God first in our life, to fill our thoughts with His desires, to take His character for our pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. So, get going! Don’t be passive. Be active. Do good deeds as an expression of your love for God and your desire to be obedient without getting bogged down by the world’s definition of ‘riches’. The stock market can collapse in one day and potentially cost a person every bit of money they have. But nothing on this earth can take away the treasure that we store in Heaven by the good deeds we do on earth! Get rich in good deeds and when the day comes that you meet the Lord, He will bestow on you a reward that no amount of money on this earth could ever purchase simply because you did “good deeds” in His name!
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