FLEE OR FOLLOW AFTER. 1st Timothy 6:11. The attractions are always there for religious practitioners to get wealthy when they realize that professing Christians want to do whatever they can to earn favor with God. One of the simplest ways for professing believers who haven't been taught from the scriptures or are counterfeit Christians is to donate money to a good cause or a religious group that seeks to claim tithes for themselves. The riches are available for the taking, and the door is open to fame and fortune for those who are unscrupulous. But there is a calling for the man of God—a much higher commitment.
He is not willing to sell his soul for a high price from an attractive buyer. He knows that he has already been bought and paid for by Christ’s blood and belongs to the Savior he loves. His Savior's claim on him has been confirmed with limitless love shown at the cross. The man of God turns away and avoids the many temptations that riches bring, and he strives to stay clear of anything that could weaken his faith and witness in these situations.
Before him, like shining lights, lie the characteristics of real life. Righteousness beckons him to follow; in its way, there is the bright light of holiness and godly living. Godliness is then quickly met and joins in the upward climb, where faith is waiting by a difficult turn in life’s road, so he can find assurance. Love is there, too, to smooth the way when the road gets rough, and patience lends its encouraging hand just when you think you can’t take any more. Meekness adds strength to all those other character traits that God uses instead of riches, and whose value is so much higher.
The man of God chooses an upward path; riches will lead one down to a place filled with only deception. He climbs to the mountaintop to fellowship with the Lord Jesus, while the wealthy man heads downtown, following the easiest route and living unsatisfied. The man of God finds joy in things that cannot be bought with money. Those who pursue material possessions will someday have nothing and no lasting record of their years. The man of God pursues the things that make him resemble his Master, but the one seeking riches desires a much faster-paced lifestyle. At the end of life, he will lose everything he has, and his future will be eternal loss. Over time, the man of God increasingly finds joy and purpose in his life and in his relationship with the Lord he follows.