“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9).
1 Timothy 6:9 alerts us to another concern regarding the pursuit of financial wealth: the internal motives that lead to the desire to accumulate such things. We can separate this passage into its constituent elements for the benefit of anyone who seeks to remember and apply this verse…
Those who desire to be rich. An ancient maxim tells us that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. In a similar manner, the first step on the road to becoming rich involves a desire to be rich. Therefore, we can benefit from examining our attitudes in this area. Why do we want to obtain wealth? An honest answer to that simple question may help reveal any motives that are less than Godly.
Fall into temptation. A person who seeks to accumulate wealth and possessions might be tempted to justify that pursuit in various ways. For instance, we might validate our quest for financial gain with the thought of all the good things we could do if we only had more money. While greater wealth certainly opens up the potential for greater opportunities, we should consider how we are handling the assets we already possess. If we are not faithful in using the resources we already have, then why would God provide us with anything more?
A snare. One commentator offers a penetrating analysis of this word-picture: “Possessions also change your relationship with others. You discover that people are treating you differently because you have something that is a symbol of prestige or status. People no longer treat you for who you are; they are treating you for what you have, so you begin to get suspicious of your friends and your friendships. You can even get involved in court cases, lawsuits, etc. All this enters when the love of money starts to possess you. That is the snare involved.” (1)
Foolish and harmful lusts. Lust is a characteristic that reflects other negative qualities like exploitation and selfishness. It serves to describe the mindset of a person who uses someone to fulfill his or her desires. This is harmful to others and highly inappropriate in the sight of a morally pure God.
Which drown men in destruction and perdition. One source defines perdition as “the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell” (2) thus providing a fitting incentive to take this counsel seriously.
(1) Excerpted with permission from The Cost of Riches © 2010 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org
(2) G684 apoleia Thayer’s Greek Definitions https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g684