LIFE IS TOO SHORT. Have you ever thought about how quickly time passes by? Have you ever heard someone say where did the time go? The older we get, the faster time seems to slip by. As life comes closer to its end, we start to realize just how valuable life is in comparison to possessions. And regardless of how valuable or precious our possessions are, we cannot take anything we own with us when we die. So, who will get them?
We have been looking at how to be successful with money and the other resources God has given us. We have determined that successfully managing money and the possessions God has given us involves putting Him first in everything we do.
Now we look at managing our earlier years so that our later years may be peaceful, happy years. We will examine God’s guidance and counseling in our final years. How should we prepare for retirement and even death? From a biblical perspective, we consider some of the things we should do and some things we should not do.
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Asking for God’s Help
Holy Father, we know that life on this earth is not promised from one moment to the next. As manager of the resources you have given us, help us wisely plan how they will be disbursed upon our death. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
We came into this world with nothing, and we will leave this world with nothing. When we die, we can’t take anything with us – at least not the material possessions we’ve accumulated.
The Bible, in the following verses, lets us know how short life is, and it reminds us that we can take nothing with us when we die, regardless of how valuable or precious it may be.
Psalms 49:17
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. (Psalms 49:17)
I Timothy 6:6-7
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (I Timothy 6:6-7)
Psalms 39:11 You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth; Surely every man is vapor. Selah (Psalms 39:11)
James 4:14
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)
Ecclesiastes 2:18-22
18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 2:18-22) (Split)
In the previous lesson, we talked about the work that many of the Bible writers did in their later years.
The book of Ecclesiastes is an example of that. It was written by King Solomon in his old age. It was written after he had fully sought after and experienced all the pleasures of this world. His experiences proved that the most pleasures this earth can offer are empty and unsatisfying.
In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon shows how impossible it is for the vanities of this world to meet the longings of the heart.
He concludes that what is most wise is to enjoy with gratitude the good gifts of God and to do what is right because all our works will be examined at the time of judgment.
Solomon’s autobiography is one to mourn. In it, he gives us the history of his search for happiness. He engaged in intellectual pursuits; he gratified his love for pleasure; he carried out his schemes of commercial enterprise.
As King, he was surrounded by the fascinating glamor of court life. All that the sensual heart could desire was at his command, yet he sums up the sad record of his experiences in Ecclesiastes 2:11, saying:
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV)
Solomon tells of his research, his investigations, and his inquiries. And he then concludes that his process in the accumulation of wisdom was all vanity. — The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, pp. 1164, 1165
Yes, life is short. And to add to that, when we die, we cannot take anything, any accumulated possession, with us.
This is the point made in Psalms 49:17 “For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away” (Ps. 49:17, NKJV)
We must leave our things and money behind for someone else to use. Who gets these things depends on what plans are made before we die.
That’s why it’s important to think about what will happen to our possessions after we’re gone.
In other words, if you have things that you want to pass on to loved ones or donate to charity, it’s a good idea to make a plan for how that will happen before you pass away.
Though you may not have an estate (such as property or land), over the years, most of us have accumulated possession that is valuable and precious to us. Planning what happens to those possessions can be a way to make sure that your wishes are carried out, even after you are no longer here.
Many of us have saved money if we have worked for many years. Or we may have a house, property, or other things of value. The point is, what will happen to this money or the things of value after you die?
For those who have possessions at the end of life, no matter how great or small they might be, estate planning can be our final act of effectively and carefully managing the resources God has given us.
Good managers of God’s property will make a plan or a will.
What does a will do?
A will tells people who gets your money and your things after you die. If you don’t write a will, then the government decides for you based on the laws of that state or country.
What happens if you die without a will? Most governments will give the money and property to your relatives whether or not you would have wanted to give a portion to that person or not.
If it is your desire that your church or some other charity should get a portion of your possession, then you must make a will beforehand.
In Psalm 24:1, we read that God owns everything.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1)
So, from a biblical perspective, as people of God, when we finish using what God gave us, then it makes sense that we should give back to God.
Do we not believe that everything we have belongs to God? Thus, when our time here on this Earth is over, it makes sense to return what’s left to Him. So, take some time to think about what you want to happen after you’re gone. It’s never too early to start planning for the future!
For, as we know, death can come at any time. And it also comes when we least expect it. So, the time now is to ask yourself these questions:
What will happen to your loved ones if you die today? What will happen to your property? Would it be distributed as you would like?
Then, how do we make the necessary preparations to ensure that what God has given us is distributed as we would desire? Find out Day 4: Begin with Personal Needs
If you wish to return tithe
or give an offering
consider giving online,
@ Adventistgiving.org
My Local Church:
Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
7902 Wheatly Street
Houston, TX 77088
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