First Timothy 6:11 tells a believer to run away from the love of money and the pursuit of wealth, and instead to chase after a set of character qualities that reflect God. The verse is Paul’s direct instruction to his younger co-worker Timothy, whom he calls “man of God,” right after warning about the dangers of greed.
But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11 (WEB)
What 1 Timothy 6:11 Means
The verse has two halves. The first is a command to “flee these things,” meaning the greedy desires described in the verses just before it. Paul uses a strong word here. He is not asking Timothy to manage temptation or keep it at arm’s length. He is asking him to get out of its way quickly, the way you would leave a building that is on fire.
The second half is a list of things to pursue: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. These are qualities of a life that belongs to God. Righteousness is living in right relationship with God and others. Godliness is a reverent, God-centered way of life. The last four describe how that life looks in practice: trusting God, loving people, sticking with the work when it is hard, and treating others with a soft, patient spirit.
The verse does not promise that a godly life will be free of hardship, nor does it guarantee material rewards. It describes what a person of God should be chasing and what they should leave behind. The emphasis falls on direction and character, not on a formula for success.
The Context of 1 Timothy 6:11
First Timothy is one of the Pastoral Epistles, traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul, written to Timothy, a young leader in the church at Ephesus. Paul’s letters to Timothy give practical guidance for church leadership, sound teaching, and personal conduct in a community that was facing false teaching and the pull of worldly values.
The verse sits within a passage about contentment and money. Paul writes that having food and clothing is enough, and then warns that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Because the surrounding text is about the danger of greed, the phrase “flee these things” points back to that greed. Read in that setting, the verse is less a general list of virtues and more a specific answer to the trap Paul has just described.
Key Phrases in 1 Timothy 6:11
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
(WEB)
Jesus warns that no one can serve two masters, and that a person cannot serve both God and money. This echoes the warning in First Timothy and helps explain why the pursuit of wealth must be left behind for the believer to follow God wholeheartedly.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(WEB)
Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit, including love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. These parallel the qualities listed in First Timothy and show that such character is produced by God’s work in a believer’s life, not merely by human effort.
A Short Prayer From 1 Timothy 6:11
Lord, you know how easily my heart is drawn toward wanting more, and how quickly I can start measuring my worth by what I own or earn. Help me to recognize those pulls for what they are, and give me the courage to turn away from them. Draw my affections toward righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Shape my days so that these qualities grow in me, especially where I am most tired or most tempted. Amen.
