DEEP - Week 5
Day 6
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way we will lay up treasure for ourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that we may take hold of the life that is truly life.” - 1 Timothy 6:17–19
Imagine reaching the end of our lives with plenty of things to leave behind but very little spiritual fruit to show for them. A full garage and an empty legacy would be a terrible trade.
Paul doesn't tell people with resources to feel guilty about having them.
He tells us what to do with them.
Don't become proud.
Don't trust wealth.
Trust the living God.
Enjoy what God provides.
Do good.
Be generous.
Share.
That's an entirely different vision of wealth.
God's blessings don't have to terminate on us.
They can travel through us.
One of wealth's great deceptions is convincing us that we are the sole beneficiaries of everything that enters our hands.
“We earned it.”
“We deserve it.”
“We want it.”
“It's ours.”
But the kingdom of God moves us from ownership toward stewardship.
What if God gave us influence because someone else needs encouragement?
What if He gave us homes partly so hospitality could happen there?
What if He increases our income because He wants to increase our generosity?
What if our businesses and careers aren't only about building our futures but also about blessing employees, customers, coworkers, communities, and God's kingdom?
What if our children are supposed to inherit more than assets?
What if they're supposed to inherit a picture of what faithful stewardship looks like?
That's where this becomes generational.
Our children are watching how we handle money.
They notice what excites us.
They hear what we complain about.
They see whether generosity feels joyful or painful.
They learn what “success” means from the way we live.
If every family conversation communicates, “We need more,” we shouldn't be surprised if the next generation grows up believing life is found in more.
But imagine giving them another story.
“We work hard because work matters.”
“We manage wisely because everything belongs to God.”
“We save because wisdom prepares.”
“We give because God has been generous toward us.”
“We enjoy blessings without needing blessings to define us.”
“We don't have to keep up with everybody.”
“We trust the living God.”
That's a legacy.
So let's finish this week by doing something real.
Let's gather our families if possible and talk about what God has entrusted to us.
Not only money.
Our homes.
Our time.
Our abilities.
Our relationships.
Our opportunities.
Our influence.
Then let's ask one question together:
“How could something God has given us become a blessing to someone else?”
Then let's choose an answer and act on it.
Invite someone to our table.
Meet a practical need.
Give generously.
Support someone doing kingdom work.
Encourage someone.
Share something we own.
Help a family going through difficulty.
Let our children participate.
And afterward, let's reflect.
What did generosity expose in us?
Was it difficult to release something?
Did we feel fear?
Joy?
Freedom?
Did giving remind us how much we've already received?
Then let's return to Jesus' warning in Mark 4.
The goal isn't merely avoiding greed.
The goal is fruitfulness.
Jesus warns us about the deceitfulness of wealth because He doesn't want thorns choking what His Word is producing in us.
He wants our lives to bear fruit.
He wants our marriages to bear fruit.
He wants our parenting to bear fruit.
He wants our resources to bear fruit.
He wants the next generation to see that there is a better way to live than endlessly chasing more.
So let's not spend our lives trying to accumulate enough that we no longer need God.
There is no such amount.
Instead, we can receive His provision with gratitude.
Manage it with wisdom.
Enjoy it without guilt.
Give it with generosity.
Hold it with humility.
And trust God with tomorrow.
Because eventually everything we accumulate will belong to someone else.
But the spiritual fruit produced through lives surrendered to Christ can continue long after we're gone.
Let that be the wealth our families are known for.
Not simply that we had much.
But that we trusted God deeply, lived generously, and used what He placed in our hands to make an eternal difference.
WATCH THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/live/6h_fWFvtWnw?si=rtwyqC3I2ZSSDcu3
