Psalm 49:17-20: When we die we shall carry nothing away

From Psalms

Psalm 49:17-20

¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away:
       his glory shall not descend after him.
¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul:
      and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
      they shall never see light.
²⁰Man that is in honour, and understandeth not,
      is like the beasts that perish.

I continue from the last psalms' comments on using the time, and the gifts, that God gives here on earth wisely.  Last time I wrote about, among other things, not being able to take riches with us when we die.

I would like to take another perspective on not taking things with us when we die.  Just like when we face an important game or competition we gave our all and finished with no energy remaining.  We say we left everything on the field.  That's the same way we need to face life and when I think about it maybe everyday.  For when we die we take nothing with us - we need to give in life like an important game or competition and have nothing left at the end.  Leave everything on the field.  Give everything we have and nothing less.  At the end of the day today, think about it...was there anything else I could have done?  Did I truly give everything I had to give?  Leave here without anything - leave here with no regrets.

Recently, I have observed, and as I proof read this, I realize I have not been giving everything I have to give.  Not in every aspect of my life.  In some areas, yes.  Not in the areas of my addiction.  Not in some areas related to my family.  And certainly not in many of the areas the bible tells us to.  I realize now how hard a proposition it is to give everything you have to give is.  How many options there are to find an easy way out.

I realize also that this approach is true about successful recovering addicts and is part of the big book on AA. "If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it-then you are ready to take certain steps.  At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.  We realized that half measures availed us nothing."

Here's to giving everything we've got - with everyday we've been given.

Thanks for letting me share.