1 Timothy 6:18 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

Have you ever seen the musical Hello Dolly? There is a scene toward the end in which the matchmaker, Dolly Levi, is trying to help the wealthy tightwad Horace Vandergelder loosen up with his money a little. “Money is like manure…” She tells him, “It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.”

Paul’s words imply that he would agree with her, more or less. Money can stink, or money can serve us. For all the dangers money poses to our souls, it also has the potential to do a lot of good. Like so many other Bible teachings, there is a ditch on both sides of the road here. Love it too much, fail to respect its power to take over our hearts, and it becomes poison to our faith. But if we decide that money itself somehow has to be dirty and unholy, then we may miss the special opportunities it gives those who have it to do good.

Wealth may make it possible for some people to be particularly “rich in good deeds.” To hear some people talk about saving for retirement, you would think that work was evil, laziness was a virtue, and that life really is all about making yourself happy. “I slaved away for the company all those years,” they say. “I can’t wait to retire and do nothing.” Or “I worked hard and supported my family. Now I’m going to get to do something for myself.” Is there anything particularly Christian about years of doing nothing or using the last years of our lives to gratify our own desires? Where is that written?

But we can redeem the concept of retirement nest eggs when we turn working less into helping more. Whether in retirement or sooner, if more money means less days or hours at a job, then wealth can be a tool that frees us to volunteer. A doctor friend of mine spent less hours in the office as he approached the end of his career. He spent more hours at a clinic where children could see him for free. A group of retired tradesmen rebuild homes for families who have lost their houses to natural disasters. They can do this because the wealth on which they retired allowed them to donate their time and ability.

Another godly use for wealth is giving it away. “Command them…to be generous and willing to share.” We work hard at teaching our children to share, don’t we? We know it doesn’t come naturally. I have seen infants who weren’t even able to walk in a tug of war over the same toy. A video I saw on Facebook has two little boys pulling the same pacifier out of each other’s mouth and putting it in his own. Each boy starts to cry when the other takes the pacifier away. It’s adorable. So we intervene in our children’s play, and we teach them to share.

Do we forget the lesson as adults? Yes, it’s my money, humanly speaking. I earned it. No one should be able to take it from me by force. And it shouldn’t be used to reinforce someone’s bad habits or self-destructive vices. But maybe if we were a little less eager to upgrade the car, the house, the electronics, or the wardrobe, we could support some legitimate charities, get more mission work done, and improve our communities. Maybe there would be less reason for the government to raise taxes, and more people respecting, even joining, Christian churches.

Maybe we could just love someone. You know what we call the wealthy donors to hospitals, schools, or other institutions that serve the public good? “Philanthropists.” It’s from a Greek word, and the meaning has nothing to do with money. It means “Lover of people.” I know that some of the big donors may be more interested in getting a plaque on the wall, a building named after them, or some other publicity. But the idea of philanthropy is that giving is an opportunity to love people. Loving people is the second main thing God wants us to do after loving him. God’s philanthropy toward us lies at the heart of Jesus’ saving work. He so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

So generosity and sharing belong to a life rich in good deeds. Don’t let the wealth God gives you pile up and stink. Spread it around. Use it to make love grow.