ALL WE HAVE
"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." - 1 Timothy 6:7
The context of this verse was the reliance on money. Paul was about to be martyred when he penned 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul was writing a letter of instructions to aid Timothy in running an effective church body for the Lord. On the list was the love of money. Paul mentions in verse 9 that people who have a desire to "get rich" are already primed for "the temptation", "the trap", and finally "ruin and destruction". It reads - "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." Verse 10 and 11 elaborate nicely - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Instead of this love of money Paul instructs that "godliness with contentment is great gain." (v.6) and "if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (v.8). That truth is not hard to understand, especially with so many families in debt, especially with a nation (America) in debt.
However, it is 1 Timothy 6:7, stated alone that really got me thinking (look out!).
Life is all about relationships. At birth we are naked and totally dependent on God and our parents. At death, if Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, we are once more dependent on our relationship with God to trust we will be with Him (Paradise). At the end, death does not allow for any "carry-ons" or "check-in bags"! It allows for nothing materialistic to pass from this realm to the next. Only relationships made or not made in this life will carry over to the next chapter of existence. And the only relationship that matters for this side and the other side is the one you have with Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
The context of this verse was the reliance on money. Paul was about to be martyred when he penned 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul was writing a letter of instructions to aid Timothy in running an effective church body for the Lord. On the list was the love of money. Paul mentions in verse 9 that people who have a desire to "get rich" are already primed for "the temptation", "the trap", and finally "ruin and destruction". It reads - "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." Verse 10 and 11 elaborate nicely - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Instead of this love of money Paul instructs that "godliness with contentment is great gain." (v.6) and "if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (v.8). That truth is not hard to understand, especially with so many families in debt, especially with a nation (America) in debt.
However, it is 1 Timothy 6:7, stated alone that really got me thinking (look out!).
Life is all about relationships. At birth we are naked and totally dependent on God and our parents. At death, if Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, we are once more dependent on our relationship with God to trust we will be with Him (Paradise). At the end, death does not allow for any "carry-ons" or "check-in bags"! It allows for nothing materialistic to pass from this realm to the next. Only relationships made or not made in this life will carry over to the next chapter of existence. And the only relationship that matters for this side and the other side is the one you have with Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9
If you are reading this and you are already a Christian, then the rest of the time here on planet earth is all that more important. Relationships will come and go, but when they come take the opportunity to share The Answer to Life with them before they possibly leave your radar for good. If you are rejected, so be it - Jesus was rejected and you will be rejected too (John 15:20). Plus, you have obeyed The Great Commission (Mark 16:15) and the seed has been planted - the rest is in God's perfectly capable hands. Our lifespan is but a blink now-a-days. I challenge all of us, me included, not to get caught up in the world and all of it's offerings, but to treasure and nurture our relationships, especially the one with Jesus.
I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from The Lord of the Ring series. (Press play above to hear it.)
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
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