“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, wheremoth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up foryourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and wherethieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heartwill be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For webrought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if wehave food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to getrich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desiresthat plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root ofall kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faithand pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10).

Jesus and Paul both taught on attachment to money. Thepassages above are two examples of their teaching. In our wealthy evangelicalsociety, where wealth seems to be normal and not inordinate, we can easilythink that we are obeying this teaching.

Later on, in 1 Timothy 6, Paul speaks to the wealthy:“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to puttheir hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, whorichly 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” (1 Timothy6:17-18). 

We here in this ministry (Community Christian Ministries,ccmbooks.org) have been the recipients of giving. We in turn are giving out ofthis wealth.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships