“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
In today's society, we are surrounded by competitiveness. "Win or go home" ... "The one with the most toys wins" ... "We are the champions."
The competitiveness of others often brings out my own competitiveness. This creates a vicious cycle where, in the end, no one wins. In fact, the physical objects that we are competing to attain have very little value and certainly no eternal value at all.
Why do we do this to ourselves as humans? It is like we are race horses with blinders on. We are so focused on the narrow track that it is difficult to see the big, eternal picture.
In 1 Timothy, we are warned not to set our hopes on the riches of this world. We are warned not to lean on the materials things that we can attain here, as they are fleeting and will bring no eternal benefits. We are warned that trying to win the world is a path of doom.
1 Timothy 6:17 is directed at us all ... not just the wealthy, but all of us who chase the ways of this world. The conclusion of the verse is beautiful. We are to set our hopes on the God. These are not our hopes for items that are of this world. This is setting our eternal hope on God.
As Christians, we have an eternal hope. We are filled with hope because of our relationship with God. In the end, we have eternal life, and all judgement will be handled by God. What an awesome thing!