Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Matthew 6:19-21)
The typical westerner who is in his middle age loves to talk about his retirement, looking forward to the a life free of children being around, greater intimacy by being themselves, never-ending holidays, and of course, a bank account full of money to spend on anything one wants. He or she looks forward to such a temporal material haven, and does not care about the suffering or hardships of those around him or her.
The hardships of those living in poverty, homeless, lonely or ill are that which he could not even afford to care about for a moment. As such, he seeks nothing but what is called "career progression" which is simply an earthly term for seeking professional achievements in work, as opposed to working quietly with one's hands.
Such is the mammonised mindset of the average westerner.
However, tragically, many in the modern western Church has a mindset that is not all that different. Although the true but mammonised Christian in the west rejects crass materialism of his secular counterparts, he still seeks his security in earthly wealth and finances - all without realising it. Such materialism is so easy to justify, by twisting the Scriptures as many do, arguing that one must strive for earthly security because one must provide for one's family or else one would be worse than an infidel: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8).
However, that is not what 1 Timothy 5:8 means. As such, such people have used 1 Timothy 5:8 to label those who are obliged to provide for their families, but cannot find a job when they want to, as those who are infidels. As such, they wrongly assume that if a man cannot find a job, despite searching hard, that it is his fault, and that his family deserves such a 'curse'. Such people twist the Scripture, not knowing that God may allow a man to be unemployed for a while for whatever purpose of His.
Such people also ignore that God Himself promises to provide for those who seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and yet dare to assume that those who are unable to find work despite seeking work are cursed:
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Matthew 6:30-34).
Some with 1 Timothy 5:8 in mind express some genuine but misguided sympathy for those whose earthly provider cannot find work, when he is trying to or is seeking to, all without realising how misguided such sympathy is. Such is spiritual error which can and does hurt those against whom erroneous accusations are made.
What 1 Timothy 5:8 refers to is an attitude of a man obliged to provide for his family but is unwilling to. It is not referring to a man who is trying to find decent work, but cannot, nor one who is frail, and therefore can no longer work. Those who use 1 Timothy 5:8 to accuse men and their families of being cursed because of being unable to find a job are causing nothing but being a stumbling block and are a snare! Such an error stems from an unbiblical understanding of work which needs to be rooted out of the mindset of the Christian.
It is not just important for a follower of Christ to work hard to provide for his family. He must also have the right attitude and mindset about work, in relation to what is work for.
Matthew 6:30-34 which tells the follower of Christ is not saying that one should not work to provide for one's family. Equally though, work is to be done to glorify God, not to obtaining earthly treasures or achieve earthly goals. The earthly rewards are simply God's provision that are simply to sustain oneself and one's family, not to store up on earth or accumulate (Matthew 6:19-21).
The Bible commands slaves:
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
(Ephesians 6:5-8).
While it is not a sin to be promoted at work, such professional success can be and is very dangerous, owing to its snare in causing people to focus on achieving mere earthly success as opposed to working as worship God:
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
(1 Timothy 6:9-11).
Working for earthly success, such as "career progression" and working to please God are diametrically opposed. The former is to serve mammon, that is, the spirit behind seeking earthly security, and Jesus said that one cannot serve both God and mammon, as so many in the western Church think (Matthew 6:24).
However, the tragic thing is that many in the modern western Church find it so hard to even understand why and how seeking earthly success is to love mammon. Not few of them, if not many of them, even think it is means of glorify God, which is based on such a perverted understanding of what it means to truly serve God, which means to hate mammon (Matthew 6:24).
This thinking is all the manifestation of seeking earthly security, which includes retirement. No where in the Bible does it say that one is to work quietly with one's hands until retirement, or to labour for God until retirement. Such is a doctrine of demons!
Retirement is an unbiblical concept which the follower of Christ must reject, in labouring for God in all of one's days. It is diametrically opposed to not laying up one's treasures on earth. It is to lay up one's treasures on earth.
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Matthew 6:19-21)
The typical westerner who is in his middle age loves to talk about his retirement, looking forward to the a life free of children being around, greater intimacy by being themselves, never-ending holidays, and of course, a bank account full of money to spend on anything one wants. He or she looks forward to such a temporal material haven, and does not care about the suffering or hardships of those around him or her.
The hardships of those living in poverty, homeless, lonely or ill are that which he could not even afford to care about for a moment. As such, he seeks nothing but what is called "career progression" which is simply an earthly term for seeking professional achievements in work, as opposed to working quietly with one's hands.
Such is the mammonised mindset of the average westerner.
However, tragically, many in the modern western Church has a mindset that is not all that different. Although the true but mammonised Christian in the west rejects crass materialism of his secular counterparts, he still seeks his security in earthly wealth and finances - all without realising it. Such materialism is so easy to justify, by twisting the Scriptures as many do, arguing that one must strive for earthly security because one must provide for one's family or else one would be worse than an infidel: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8).
However, that is not what 1 Timothy 5:8 means. As such, such people have used 1 Timothy 5:8 to label those who are obliged to provide for their families, but cannot find a job when they want to, as those who are infidels. As such, they wrongly assume that if a man cannot find a job, despite searching hard, that it is his fault, and that his family deserves such a 'curse'. Such people twist the Scripture, not knowing that God may allow a man to be unemployed for a while for whatever purpose of His.
Such people also ignore that God Himself promises to provide for those who seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and yet dare to assume that those who are unable to find work despite seeking work are cursed:
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Matthew 6:30-34).
Some with 1 Timothy 5:8 in mind express some genuine but misguided sympathy for those whose earthly provider cannot find work, when he is trying to or is seeking to, all without realising how misguided such sympathy is. Such is spiritual error which can and does hurt those against whom erroneous accusations are made.
What 1 Timothy 5:8 refers to is an attitude of a man obliged to provide for his family but is unwilling to. It is not referring to a man who is trying to find decent work, but cannot, nor one who is frail, and therefore can no longer work. Those who use 1 Timothy 5:8 to accuse men and their families of being cursed because of being unable to find a job are causing nothing but being a stumbling block and are a snare! Such an error stems from an unbiblical understanding of work which needs to be rooted out of the mindset of the Christian.
It is not just important for a follower of Christ to work hard to provide for his family. He must also have the right attitude and mindset about work, in relation to what is work for.
Matthew 6:30-34 which tells the follower of Christ is not saying that one should not work to provide for one's family. Equally though, work is to be done to glorify God, not to obtaining earthly treasures or achieve earthly goals. The earthly rewards are simply God's provision that are simply to sustain oneself and one's family, not to store up on earth or accumulate (Matthew 6:19-21).
The Bible commands slaves:
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
(Ephesians 6:5-8).
While it is not a sin to be promoted at work, such professional success can be and is very dangerous, owing to its snare in causing people to focus on achieving mere earthly success as opposed to working as worship God:
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
(1 Timothy 6:9-11).
Working for earthly success, such as "career progression" and working to please God are diametrically opposed. The former is to serve mammon, that is, the spirit behind seeking earthly security, and Jesus said that one cannot serve both God and mammon, as so many in the western Church think (Matthew 6:24).
However, the tragic thing is that many in the modern western Church find it so hard to even understand why and how seeking earthly success is to love mammon. Not few of them, if not many of them, even think it is means of glorify God, which is based on such a perverted understanding of what it means to truly serve God, which means to hate mammon (Matthew 6:24).
This thinking is all the manifestation of seeking earthly security, which includes retirement. No where in the Bible does it say that one is to work quietly with one's hands until retirement, or to labour for God until retirement. Such is a doctrine of demons!
Retirement is an unbiblical concept which the follower of Christ must reject, in labouring for God in all of one's days. It is diametrically opposed to not laying up one's treasures on earth. It is to lay up one's treasures on earth.
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