Does 1 Timothy 6:6-11 imply that it is wrong to put money away towards retirement or to accumulate wealth?
Jesus never rebuked his well-to-do friends and told them to give up all of their money. He enjoyed eating with them and staying at their homes (consider Mary and Martha, as well as Zacchaeus; Luke 10:38; Luke 19:2-8). Jesus was even buried in the tomb of a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin (Joseph of Arimathea; Matthew 27:57-60).
Jesus stressed the importance of stewardship (Matthew 25:14-30), and income requires stewardship. When God provides us with employment and income, we should be good stewards. Being a good steward of our income involves putting it to good use so that it can be enjoyed. Jesus made it clear that life is good, and that happiness on earth isn’t something to be shunned. Being a good steward is also to be generous in reinvesting some of the assets God has given us in the work of His kingdom. All we have belongs to God, and giving is a blessed privilege of stewardship. This fact helps us set Christian priorities for living (Matthew 6:33), and also reminds us of the principle of spiritual investments: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
First Timothy 6:6-11 is an important reminder that well-being is a relative thing. A poor person with health is better off than a wealthy person dying from a terminal disease. Because the best things in life aren’t related to wealth, a relatively poor person who has “food and clothing”—the provision of basic needs—(1 Timothy 6:8) can enjoy friendship, love, and the beauty of the natural world just as much as a wealthy person can. In fact, some wealthy people miss all the best things in life because life itself isn’t as important for them as accumulating wealth. (Jesus also implied that poor people are often more inclined to seek the kingdom of God than the rich—Matthew 19:23-24; Luke 12:16-21; 18:24.)
Ultimately, where we invest our heart is more important than where we invest our money. If our heart is invested wisely, we will handle our finances wisely too. The way we handle money is closely related to our spiritual values.
The volatility of the markets and precarious position of world currencies should remind us that while we are responsible to use and invest our money as wisely as possible, we would be fools to put off living fully engaged and joyously in the present.
