Having Nothing, Yet Possessing All Things

“We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”

~2 Corinthians 6:10c (NLT).

What an amazing picture of life that Paul presents for us and for the Corinthians back then. There is a volley of paradoxical life opposites presented during this passage; concluding with this one.

And this indeed is the common resolution to all our plights of materialism, envy and undue comparison etc. This is the ultimate answer to the person who hasn’t had their prayer—any prayer—answered. It’s hard, perhaps, but it’s nonetheless true.

We already possess so much... indeed, everything of true worth.

The Way of ‘The Way’

Paul, I believe, was trying to win over the Corinthians to the Way—that way of Christ i.e. to model for them how believers of ‘the Way’ should behave and interact with God, each other and the world. It’s no different for us.

Why then do we consider what we don’t have as superior opposed to that which we do have? I suppose it’s because we get to see what everyone else has far more easily than what we see we have. We forget in an unguarded moment’s nonchalance—an altogether too common human response to life—the very many thousands of common blessings we really do have.

And ‘very many thousands’ is no exaggeration! I really think we’ve just never learned to count this way.

The keys to life are already in our possession; we’ve already arrived, and particularly so if we call ourselves saved of God.

Restoring Right Perspective

Correct sight of these very many blessings, of course, all depends on our perspective.

How can a starving person in some third world country be happier, owning next to nothing, than the millionaire who’s plotting their suicide? There is such a confounding dichotomy across the face of the globe with regard to this. The Western world, for a large part, is at a stark despair with itself, thinking, i.e. erroneously, it has it all right.

And this is a big part of the problem. When we think we’re so right how can we possibly see the colossal room for growth and change in attitude required? How can we be both ‘right’ and obsequiously unhappy with our lot in life?

How do both of these co-exist? It’s madness. It’s an insane perspective.

How do we possibly re-rail this runaway train that is speeding brake-less toward materialism, and away from a social concern and a spiritual answer to everything?

We have to somehow get people—ourselves for this matter—to see that we are the makers of our very own problem.

Can You See?

Having nothing, yet possessing all things... if you can see this, you’re right where God wants you to be. It probably took years for you to arrive at this point. Nonetheless, don’t stagnate there or you’ll not retain this incomprehensible joy for long.

If you can’t for the life of you comprehend this, just simply believe it’s there. Thousands upon thousands, to the millions can’t be wrong. These countless believers through the ages—and currently—all have experienced the same thing; the same sense of God’s abiding Spiritual blessing—having nothing but possessing everything.

You too can have it! Ask, and for all your life go after it, unrelentingly so. God wants it for you.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.