They will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:19 (NIV)
Learn to be disturbed about the fact that you will leave this world and you cannot take what you have with you.
John Calvin says that if we truly believe heaven is our home, we will be like those who move to another country. They send their goods ahead of them, so that they may enjoy them for a longer time. Knowing that this life will soon vanish like a dream, we ought to transfer the things we want to truly enjoy to a place where we can enjoy them forever.
People who move to another country send over all their possessions ahead of them. They do not grieve over their stuff, because they know they will be happier having it where they are going. John Calvin says, “If we believe heaven is our country, it is better to transmit our possessions [there] than to keep them here, where upon our sudden [death], they would be lost to us.”
How do you do this? “Be rich in good deeds and… be generous and willing to share” (6:18). Don’t rest content that you have eternal life. Take hold of it. Go after it. Invest yourself in it.
Jonathan Edwards says, “The saints are like… vessels of different sizes cast into a sea of happiness where every vessel is full.” This is eternal life, to forever have your capacity filled.
Are you resting content because you think you have eternal life? Or are you laying up treasures in heaven?