Articles
Nothing
Nothing
What the child is always doing, despite evidence to the contrary ("nothing"). What is wrong with one's spouse who sits nearby, quietly and tight-lippedly fuming ("nothing"). What the interrupted person was going to say ("nothing"). The word which defines itself is "nothing." The Bible teaches, "For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Galatians 6:4)
Those low in self-esteem think of themselves as nothing. Children and spouses who are constantly told so think of themselves as nothing. Those not as wealthy as their friends or neighbors often conclude themselves to be nothing. Those unrecognized for their accomplishments can feel like they are nothing. But the inspired apostle refers to some who think themselves to be something who are actually "nothing." The Bible makes mention of that arrogant family, The "Nothings." They are a haughty, proud, self-involved, earthly-minded crew.
Meet the Nothings
There Are the Good for Nothings: Jeremiah introduces them. He says, "This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing" (Jeremiah 13:10). They were unaware of problems they had. They were evil, spiritually deaf, selfish, and idolatrous. He compares them to a good for nothing, straight from a hole in the ground, dirt-soiled belt!
No one is inherently worthless, but we can choose a lifestyle that is wicked, lukewarm, or indistinct (Matthew 5:13). Christians, by our distinctive nature, are of great value to God (1 Peter 2:9). Yet, by surrendering our Christian influence, we can become "good for nothing."
There Are the Brought to Nothings: After referring to the danger of making decisions based solely on human reasoning, Jeremiah prays that God will not bring him to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24). God will rename some the Brought to Nothings, those who believe man's ideas over God's facts. Paul warns that God will "destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (1 Corinthians 1:19; Isaiah 29:14). The wisest and most scholarly man who discounts God's Word will be a regretful member of the Brought to Nothings someday.
There Are the Need of Nothings: These are the overly comfortable, spiritually out of shape members of the Nothings clan. They live their lives saying, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and they do not know that they "are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). They aren't really bad people, but they aren't all that good either. They're just quite satisfied with what they have done for Christ, which isn't all that great and not too bad. They merely yawn through their spiritually lives, only occasionally stirring from spiritual sleep (Ephesians 5:14). They half-heartedly do just enough to deceive themselves into thinking they're pleasing the Lord.
Unrelated to these Nothings are some good folks, like the Ashamed in Nothings (Philippians 1:20), Terrified by Nothings (Philippians 1:28), Anxious for Nothings (Philippians 4:6), and the Wavering in Nothings (James 1:6, KJV). But the Nothings family mentioned above are black sheep in God's family. No one should want to "take after" them.
