“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:6-10)
Ever so often I receive a well-written devotional from my good friend, Pastor George Zeller, in Connecticut. Here is his latest:
“It is amazing how we can accumulate things over the years, even things that we do not really need, and in some cases do not even want. We visit a tag sale and can’t refuse a bargain, so we bring home one more object to store in some room or drawer. How easily we can be possessed by our possessions!
Knowing that my remaining days are few, I’ve been trying to downsize and say farewell to many things I have collected over the years. Soon, in an instant, there will be a total downsizing …! We will never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.
After Job was stripped of his possessions and even his beloved children, he was reminded of this truth: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there” (Job 1:21). [Cf. also Psalm 49:17; Ecclesiastes 5:15]!
The foolish rich man wanted to up-size his possessions by building bigger storage buildings, but he would not live to see another sunrise. His wealth would go to others. He laid up treasures for himself and lost them all, for he was not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).
Though we cannot take anything with us, yet thankfully there is a way to send true riches ahead of us: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). There’s no better investment!”
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