February 27, 2012
Today’s Text: 1 Timothy 6:17
Today’s Key Thought: God has blessed me with more than I need, I’m rich.
We are living during an economic downturn. Have you heard? It seems like it is all over the news doesn’t it. But yet, at the same time we’ve got to know that God has blessed our Nation in an incredible way. We have so much. In fact, in the Bible the person who had more than they needed for the day was considered rich. In most of the world there are so many people who go into each day just trying to survive.
In today’s text Paul tells Timothy to command or admonish those who are rich. We’re going to be looking at this passage of scripture all week long, and if we are going to get the most out of it we have to understand who it is talking about. A 2003 Gallup poll found that although only 2% of Americans describe themselves as rich, 31% said they thought it was very or somewhat likely they would be rich one day. That number jumped to 51% for 18 to 29-year-olds — and plunged to a sobering 8% for Americans 65 and older. According to Gallup, the public’s median definition of “rich” was an income of $120,000 — or assets of $1 million. The same question was asked of money-savvy MSN Money readers, and a majority of the more than 11,000 who responded felt that they would need at least $5 million to consider themselves rich. Those who earned less than $30,000 thought that a household income of $74,000 would qualify as rich.Those who made $30,000 to $50,000 said an income of $100,000 would be rich. And people in the top half of earners were more likely to say that an income of $200,000 earns you the right to the R word.
The point that I want to make with these statistics is that “rich is a moving target.” None of us think we are rich, because we always want more than we have. In today’s text, Paul isn’t telling them Timothy to command those who have a certain income. He was telling Timothy to talk to those who have more than they need for today. Most of us in this country have more than we need for today. We have been blessed by God, because ultimately everything good you have has come from God.
Application:
Today just needs to start with this admission. “I’ve been given more than I need. I’m rich.” When was the last time you thanked God for the things that you have? Take a few minutes to thank God for all the blessings He’s given you.
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
I do need to thank God more often even thou he is God and he knows if your thankful he still wants to hear from you and this is very true about how Americans think there not rich we have so much more than we need we are so blessed and I will take some time to thank God for all he’s given to me.
So true Blake!! 🙂 I’m with ya! U all make amazing and true points! Everyone is doing so awesome on here it’s just so amazing to c what god has blessed us with, we can just open our eyes and appreciate it even more! 🙂 it’s great! Love u all! 🙂
It is so true that we have more then we have. I know a lot of the time, people consider themseleves rich based on the amount of money they have, not on the amount of stuff we have. I myself, don’t have a ton of money, but I do have way more stuff then I need. God has blessed me in numerous ways, and He continues to each day. I like this concept that Paul was displaying to Timothy. We do have more than we need today. I need to be thanking God more often for everything He’s given me as well!
Great concept! ‘no ones rich, because we always consider the next higher up person to be rich’ We have enough for today though and that is totally enough. God provides for our needs not our wants and I can say he has supplied all my needs. I have more than enough and I need to take the time to thank him for everything he’s given me because he has given me sooo much!I guarantee if i walk into my room I’ll find a whole box worth of stuff that I never use. Maybe I could use my money for things more beneficial and not have so much material things. That would probably be a good idea since material things dont last forever xD
#imRICH
please pray for me to do better in school cause it’s getting to that time of the year where i just want to quit again haha. SPRING BREAK! please hurry up XD
I definitely have way more stuff than I need! It’s easy to get caught up in always wanting more stuff. But if we were all honest, most of us have a lot more than what we actually need! And I do take advantage of it most of the time, which is not something I should be doing. God has blessed me tremendously and I need to be more thankful for it!