Beyond Money: Securing Your Real Future Today
Daily Scripture
1 Timothy 6:7-11, 17-19
7 We didn’t bring anything into the world and so we can’t take anything out of it: 8 we’ll be happy with food and clothing. 9 But people who are trying to get rich fall into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful passions that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal.
11 But as for you, man of God, run away from all these things. Instead, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.
17 Tell people who are rich at this time not to become egotistical and not to place their hope on their finances, which are uncertain. Instead, they need to hope in God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. 19 When they do these things, they will save a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future. That way they can take hold of what is truly life.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
DID YOU KNOW?
Sunday, November 16, is “Commitment Sunday,” when all Resurrection members are invited to turn in our 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment forms at worship. But you can also make your 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment online by clicking here. Either way, make your commitment prayerfully, not casually, as an expression of your gratitude for God’s generosity to you in so many tangible and intangible ways.
Verse 10 says “the love of money”—not money itself—is the root of all kinds of evil. Money isn’t the problem; how we relate to it is. Paul offered Timothy a radically different approach to financial security: instead of hoarding wealth, be “rich in good things,’ generous, and willing to share.” When Paul wrote about “what is truly life,” he meant the meaningful existence that comes from generosity and connection with God—not the hollow pursuit of accumulation our culture promotes as “the good life.”
- Pastor Gary Demarest wrote, “Consumerism is an infectious lifestyle, and most of us American Christians are more deeply infected than we realize or admit.” * He then asked some uncomfortable questions: Is our trust in God limited to “spiritual” things, or does it extend to our finances? What are true necessities versus wants we’ve convinced ourselves we need? At what point do we cease expanding our “needs” list? How much is really enough?
- Our culture bombards us with messages about financial security. Scholar N. T. Wright observed, “Every advertisement, every other TV program, many movies and most political manifestos are designed… to make us say, ‘If only I had just a bit more money, then I would be content.'” ** What’s one specific way you can be generous this week—with your time, money, or resources? How might choosing generosity over accumulation change your sense of security?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for being my ultimate mentor, guide, and accountability partner. Teach me to value what you value, to take hold of what is truly life. Amen.
GPS Insights
Chanie Rankin
Chanie Rankin, who served as an intern in the PR & Marketing ministry at Resurrection last summer, wrote today's Insights. She is a sophomore at the University of Missouri where she studies Journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication and a minor in Textile Apparel Management. She loves getting outside, traveling, staying active, and diving into a good book.
Finances can sometimes feel like the one thing we’re not totally sure we can trust God with. It’s funny how easy it is to say we trust Him with our relationships, our future, and our plans, but when it comes to our bank accounts, that trust gets a little shaky. I think that’s because money touches almost everything in life. It can bring comfort, opportunity, and stability—and if we’re not careful, it can quietly start to control us instead of serving us.
The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with having money. Scripture never says wealth itself is bad. But it does warn us about what happens when money becomes our source of peace, confidence, or identity. When our sense of security starts depending on what we have instead of who God is, that’s when we’ve let money take the wrong place in our hearts.
Still, I get it—it’s not easy to hold money loosely. I catch myself doing it all the time. Just last week, my dad came to visit me at college, and we stopped for protein shakes at one of my favorite spots. While we were waiting, we started chatting with the woman behind us. She was a patrol officer for the downtown unit in Columbia and had just come off a rough shift. You could tell she had a hard day ahead of her too. When it was our turn to order, my dad quietly paid for her shake. As we walked out, he turned to me and said, “Money comes and goes. You just have to do something kind for other people every day.”
That simple act stuck with me. It reminded me how even something small—a drink, a kind word, a moment of generosity—can completely shift someone’s day. As a college student, I’m often caught up trying to save for the next vacation, outfit, or even my future. But my dad—and God—keep showing me that money does the most good when I don’t keep it to myself.
That moment really drove home what God’s been teaching me: money isn’t meant to be clutched; it’s meant to move. When we see it as a tool instead of a treasure, generosity stops feeling like a sacrifice and starts feeling like worship. Giving isn’t about losing, it’s about trusting that God will always provide what we need.
God doesn’t ask us to reject wealth; He asks us to redefine its purpose. Money is temporary, but the way we use it can have an eternal impact. It can feed someone who’s hungry, lift someone who’s hurting, or show a glimpse of God’s love in the middle of an ordinary day.
At the end of the day, surrendering our finances to God isn’t about losing control, it’s about finding peace. Because when we finally loosen our grip, we make space for God to move and He can do far more with open hands than we ever could by holding on tight.
© 2025 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Gary W. Demarest, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 32: 1, 2 Thessalonians / 1, 2 Timothy / Titus. Lloyd John Ogilvie, gen. editor. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984, pp. 225, 226.
** N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 71.
