Titus 1:2

This truth gives [those God has chosen] confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

We inevitably spend much of our life focused on the here and now. We need to eat, drink, work and sleep, and often there won’t be much time to do anything else. But we all need to make sure we find time to stand back from this busyness and look at our lives on a bigger scale. I’ve just been watching a rugby match. It was full of interesting incidents, but in order to understand what was going on and the significance of it, one needs to reflect on the match as a whole. So too with our earthly lives. We need to stand back and realise that our present experiences need to be seen as part of the great canvas of eternity.

Rick Warren, the American author and founder of Saddleback Church, has written about the importance of looking at life from an eternal perspective. He wrote: “When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn’t matter as much anymore.”

Having an eternal perspective also gives us a great confidence as we look to the future. Everything in this world is so obviously temporary. Possessions, fame and even our human relationships come and go. None of them is built for eternity, apart from our relationship with God. That doesn’t mean our present experiences are trivial and unimportant – far from it – but they need to be enjoyed and understood from an eternal perspective. When we look at life that way, it actually gives greater significance and importance to our everyday experiences.

Question

In what ways do you find it helpful to look at life from the perspective of eternity?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank You that my future is in Your eternal hands. Amen