With nothing I came...

Week 50:

I Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

How often I need to be reminded of this fact.  The old phrase, “You can’t take it with you” is so true and so Biblical.  We come with nothing and leave with nothing.

It is interesting what that implies.  The most notable implication to me is that we have an immortal soul.  There are many times as I wander through this life that I do not take time to think about my immortality.  You say, “Immortality, we will die!”  We will die to this earthly body, yes…to our soul, no.  Rick Warren tells us that we are made for eternity.  Part of his argument in The Purpose Driven Life is that we are being prepared for eternity.  We get a choice as to which eternity that will be.  We can choose one with the Father or one in hell.  The thought of the soul helps me remember that there is more to this life than just the material things.

Another implication is that of the love of materialism that our culture has bought.  I catch myself getting caught up in daydreams of things I might could have or collect if I just had more money.  The verses prior to verse 7 and verses 9 and 10 give strong warnings and consequences for our love of things…especially money.  This is not to say that money is evil, just the love of it.  When I get caught up in my selfish little fantasies of what I could have, I need a reminder of verse 6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain”, and again in verse 8, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 



A final implication can be that we are just stewards of what has been given us while here on this earth.  I brought nothing with me, so what I have has been given.  Yes, some would say that I earned what I have, but even then, God gave me the ability and the circumstance in which to earn the material wealth which I may be entrusted.  I have to ask myself, “What have I done with God has given me?  Have I glorified Him?”  If I put this into the context of, “…we can take nothing out of it.” (The world), it places me into a mindset of reflecting on what I have done with God’s blessings so far.   I am just a steward of His blessing, not an owner therefore, I own nothing material.  

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

Questions/challenges:

1.       What material things are you caught up in right now?

2.      What did I Timothy 6:7 spark in your heart when you first read the passage?

3.      What is your take on our “immortality”?

4.      Spend some time this week listing the things that are blessings but you have thought of as yours.

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