We CAN Take It With Us
By Sharon L. Reidenbach

We have two types of tangible items we can pass on to our family: traditions and the antiquity of the past. For a moment, this month, the world will come together for a few weeks when the Olympic Torch reaches Rio de Janeiro to signal the opening of the traditional games. And passing on those ancestral antiques we’ve held on to for family helps add depth and meaning to our life story.
Athletes earn large sums of money, and from the Antique Road Show we’ve learned items in the attic are worth something! Whether it’s wealth, or items of value, there’s a sense of accomplishment when writing our wills, a healthy inheritance is assured for generations to come.
But what about Matthew 6:19 when Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal?” (NKJV). This means, be smart, prepare for the future, don’t worship earth’s treasures. In I Peter 1:3 God said He’d give us, “An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
Walter Savage Lander, a Christian musician, said, “it’s true, we can’t take it with us. But God has shown us something we CAN take. Music is God’s gift to man, the only art of heaven given to earth, and the only art of earth we take to heaven.” (101 Hymn Stories, 1982).
Do we realize what God is doing in Heaven over us at this moment? He is rejoicing and singing. (Zephaniah 3:17). One scholar said, “Rejoice over you literally means dance, skip, leap, and spin around in joy”. Like Spurgeon said, “If God sings, shall not we ?”
If one can’t carry a tune shouting praises to God is music to Him. Yes, in Heaven we’ll sing, and praise Him: “Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you His servants . . .both small and great!” (Revelations 19:5).
It’s good to pass the torch of what’s enjoyed to the next generation whether it’s through traditions, or artifacts of the past. For those in Christ, we can pass the torch of faith in Jesus to our children, and grandchildren, building lives with meaning and purpose insuring a lasting heritage in heaven: “The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever” (Psalm 37:18).
But let us remember to give them the antiquity of singing and praising. They’re a lost art, but the only thing we CAN take to Heaven. And singing and praising protects us from feeling grumpy, mad, up-set or grouchy. We can’t do both at the same time! Truly a double blessing: prepares us for Heaven, and keeps us happy. “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104: 33).