For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:7
“So, let us not love money. But if you already have it, this is what should be done with it. Be rich, you people who have it. But rich in what way? In good works. Let them give readily, he says, let them share, At this, avarice is pulling in its horns. Listen to what follows: Let them give readily, let them share…
It’s just as if you’d drenched him with a bucket of cold water; he goes numb, he shivers, he clasps his arms to himself, and he says, “I’m not going to throw away all my work.” You poor fish, do you want to throw away your work? You’re going to die, see? And just as you brought nothing here, so you can take nothing away from here. Since you’ve taken nothing away with you, won’t you have thrown away your work.
So listen to God’s advice. Don’t panic because he said, Let them give readily, let them share. Listen to what follows. Wait for it, don’t shut the door in my face, don’t bang down the receiver of your mind; wait for it. Do you want to see why. Let them give readily, let them share doesn’t mean you will throw everything away, and in fact is the only way to avoid throwing everything away.”
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in Sermon 39.5, translated by Edmund Hill in Essential Sermons (New York: New City Press, 2007) 54.
Augustine’s sermons are awesome. Check out this book on Amazon to read them. He’s the third of four doctors of the Western Church that I’ve explored afresh while traveling in North Africa. He was from a town that would be in Algeria today.
While it’s unimaginable to throw away our work, people do it every day. As a matter of fact, most people do it. It’s the wide road they take linked to money. They store it up in the wrong place. Where is your money stored? Storing up money on earth is throwing away your work.
Instead, listen to God’s advice. Giving is the only way to avoid throwing away your work and throwing away everything you have. And pray for me as I spend some strategic time of fellowship with a group of God’s servants Sharm El-Sheikh the next few days.