I’ve Got Nothing
I know that’s not grammatically correct, but “I’ve got nothing” is a more dire statement of position than “I have nothing.”
Once we realize “I’ve got nothing” is a reality, we will also begin to understand “I’ve got nothing” is not where it ends, but where thanksgiving and praise begins.
It’s when Jesus becomes the rock on which we stand.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” - Matthew 7:24,25
It’s when we realize, with Christ Jesus all things are possible.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:12,13
It’s when we can learn to give praise in all situations.
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! - Psalm 106:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! - Psalm 34:1-3
It’s when we can love others because Jesus first loved us.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:10,11
“I’ve got nothing” is a depletion of self-reliance and a shift to relying completely on the Lord. It’s an understanding that we have nothing and can do nothing unless he gives it to us.
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? - 1 Corinthians 4:7
However, on the flip side, everything we need (not necessarily what we want) is available to us.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 1:3-8
When I realized “I’ve Got Nothing” is when I also realized “I’ve Got Everything”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. - 2 Corinthians 6:2b-10
