[ecko_quote source="1 Timothy 6:6-8 "]Now godliness with contentment is a 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.[/ecko_quote]
One of my Pastors told the following story. "Once there was a man who heard that when you die, you can’t take anything with you. So he decided he would at least try. He put all of his money in a big jug with a handle on it and put it in the attic of his house. He believed he was going to die in his home. Since the attic was right above his bedroom, on the way up to heaven, he figured, he would snatch that jug and see if he could take it with him.
Well, he has died, and after everybody had come and gone, the wife went up into the attic to see if the jug was still there. Guess what? It was still there. She thought, "Well, maybe he should have kept it in the basement!".
Now, whether you put it in the attic or the basement, you are not going to take it with you! For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out".
However, Revelation 14:13 states that "Then I heard a voice from the heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them." They rest from all sin, temptation, sorrow, and persecution; for there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. Their works follow them: do not go before as their title but follow them as proofs of their having lived and died in the Lord.
There are at least two ways in which our works follow us. First, there is a temporal following. That is, our act of obedience, sharing the gospel, teaching the Word, ministering to those in need - resulting in tangible rewards here and now. New believers enter the kingdom; young converts grow into able disciples. The feeble are fed, clothed and sheltered. We gain close new relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters. Even after our death, these works multiply through the lives and deeds of those in whom we have invested our time, spiritual gifts and callings. Think for a moment, how the lives of Apostle Peter and Paul still speak to our lives today.
But there is a second way through which our works follow us, and that is what the Spirit is saying in Rev. 14:13. As the Saints leave the suffering of this present age and pass through the portals of heaven, they enter into eternal rest and discover the treasures that have been laid up for them in heaven. They meet people who have trusted in Christ because of their testimony or the treasures that they have invested in global ministries. They are rewarded with "crowns" – laurel garlands – that testify to their faithfulness. Most importantly, they are greeted by Jesus (Rob Philips- once delivered.net)
If you want to know how much you own, add up everything you have that money cannot buy, and death cannot take away. Money talks (Paisa Bolta Hai); it says good-bye. If it does not say good-bye to you, you will be saying good-bye to it.
Hence, we must remember that eternal life consists of two things, faith and what follows faith. If you go, believe and do good to your neighbour, everlasting life will follow, although you never work towards it.
Image Source:
[http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Help.jpg]
