A Life of Empty Pockets

Think carefully.

When was the last time you left the house with NOTHING in your pockets?

No wallet. No money. No keys. No license. No cell phone. No checkbook. No pocket knife. No make-up. No comb. No lipstick. No credit cards.

No insurance card. No library card. No Kroger card. No business card. No AAA card. No AARP card. No debit card. No Blockbuster card. No Family Bookstores card. No ATM card. No Social Security card.

No identification of any kind.

When was the last time you left everything behind...not because you forgot it...but simply because you just didn't need it?

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine...imagine yourself walking into the sunshine of a new day with EMPTY POCKETS!

Nothing in them. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

How would you feel?

You NEED all of that stuff, right?

Doors need to be locked...so you NEED a key.

People need hospitals...so you NEED an insurance card.

Need gas? Credit card.
Money? ATM card.
Groceries? Kroger card.

Car problem? AAA card.
Fast food? Money.
Just about everything else? Cell phone.

Why do you need all of that stuff? Because your life is so full of stuff already!

If you have stuff, you need stuff. If you want more stuff, you need stuff to get it. You need stuff to get stuff. You need stuff to keep the stuff you already have!

But, why do you need all of that stuff in the first place?

You need stuff because you believe it provides three very important things...

...the equation looks something like this:

Stuff = Safety
Stuff = Security
Stuff = Satisfaction

Let's be honest for a moment. When was the last time your stuff really made you feel safe? When did it give you a feeling of true security? When did it actually satisfy you deeply?

Probably not in a long time. Maybe never.

Now, try closing your eyes again. This time, imagine leaving all of that stuff behind because you no longer need it.

Do you remember what it was like when you were a child and you went outside to play? You went with empty pockets! You didn't need a wallet. Or keys. Or money. Or credit cards. Or any identification of any kind.

You just went outside and played. What freedom! What an unencumbered life! It was a life of empty pockets!

Do you want to experience life like that again?

A life where every need is taken care of. Every person you meet is a friend. Every day is a day to go outside and play with empty pockets...just as you did as a child.

Is it really possible?

I believe it is.

I believe that someday all Christians will have that kind of life. I believe a day is coming when "safety" will be a non-issue. When "security" is found in a Person, rather than in pockets full of stuff. When "satisfaction" comes from what is on the inside rather than from what is accumulated on the outside.

Here is how the Lord describes that coming day for His people through the prophet Isaiah...

"No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly." (Isaiah 60:18-22)

What lies ahead for you?

A life of stuff? You can find it anytime, anyplace, in the world today.

Or a life of empty pockets? You can find it in only one place...in only one Person...in Jesus Christ.

As for me, I can't wait for the day when I can empty my pockets...and go out and play...every day...forever!


Pastor Greg