"Consumed or Commissioned?"

1 Timothy 6:17-19 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 they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

In comparison to those who Paul addresses in this letter, we are "those who are rich". In America, even those on the lower end of the economy are rich in comparison to the rest of the world. So what is God's Word to us? First....do not place your ultimate trust in your wealth.

I think many of us have learned this lesson the hard way as we have watched the equity in our homes, our retirement accounts, stocks, and sometimes....even our source of income....slip thru our fingers. Second, place the ultimate trust of your life upon God who provides everything you have in life for your enjoyment! God provides everything and He wants you to enjoy what you have. God is no cosmic "killjoy"! Third, as people who have received everything from God, we are called to leverage what God has placed in our lives to do good in the world. This is our time, talents, and financial resources. And finally, as we trust God by sharing what we have for the good to be done in the world, we experience life as God intended it to be and the seeds of good we sow in this life will impact eternity!

The moment you take your first breath to begin a new day, say "thank you" to a benevolent Father in heaven who grants you permission to inhabit His body, breathe His air, walk on His planet, and use His resources! As you go thru this day, you can selfishly hold on to your blessings and place your hope and future's security on them or you can choose to trust God and place your hope and future on doing life God's way by living a life of generosity. You can lay up treasures here or you can generously share what God has given you to make an eternal impact. Bottom line......what you have is a gift from God. You can be consumed by the gifts or commissioned by God to make a difference with the gifts. The choice is yours.

When my life is over, Lord, I want people to say that I lived a generous life because I allowed everything given to me by You to be used to make a difference for Your glory! Amen.

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