In Light of Eternity
If we stop for a moment to just breathe and think about our current life, our ambitions and goals, or our day-to-day routines - what is the purpose of it all?
What do people of the earth live for? Sometimes the answers to this question still evade the minds of believers who live in limbo between this world and the one to come. Even those who ought to have their minds on higher things forget what they ought to be living for (myself included). They live with a similar mindset to other people on the planet who don’t even know God, whose only hope for utopia and peace is in this life. They strive through work, success, recreation and whatever other means they can muster to create their own pitiful substitute for heaven.
Unwittingly and tragically, if a believer’s mind is set on the same earthly goals and motivations, we end up living and thinking the same way as an unbeliever. The people on this earth don’t know any better. For all they know, we live one life to die and then become fertilizer for the soil, and then afterwards cease to exist. So they strive and strive to turn this cursed and corrupt world into their own little “corner of paradise.” The problem is, no matter what they attempt in the effort to alter the state they live in, the fact remains that we all (yes even believers temporarily) live under the effects of the curse of Adam and Eve who disobeyed the Creator and brought toil and pain upon us all (see Genesis 3).
To create any sort of provision in this life, people must toil either by the sweat of their brow - or else through stress and anxiety, bringing deadly effects upon their mental and physical health - to eventually attain to the higher status they seek within their society. Even those who are given riches from birth are not truly happy, for they feel the emptiness of riches deep within (some of the richest people in the world are among the most miserable - just look at Solomon, who sought out the finalities of success and pleasure. Read Ecclesiastes for further reference). Many of the middle class spend all of their youth and vigor working for a retirement that they won’t enjoy as much as they had hoped. For by the time they achieve that which they toiled for, their bodies and minds are growing old and frail. Even those who are healthy in their old age must realize the brevity of life, and how quickly the years slip past them. They must know that their end upon this tiresome earth is racing quicker and quicker to meet them and seems to be gaining speed with each passing year. Is the answer, then, simply living in poverty? No, for that comes with its own slew of miseries and darkness..
So what does the scripture have to say about these matters?
1. In Colossians 3:1-4 - we are told to “seek things that are above, where Christ is”. We are to set our minds there, not on earthly things. It states that “your life is hidden with Christ in God”. The promise is that when he returns we will “appear with him in glory”. In other words, since we truly have nothing else in this world that matters compared with Christ and His promises which belong to us, those are the things worth investing in and thinking about.
2. We are told in Matt 6:19-21 to store up treasure in heaven, “where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal”. Jesus also tells his followers in John 6:27 not to “work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life”. Finally, 1 Tim 6:7 states, “for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” Paul continues in verses 17-19 to admonish the rich to not set their hope on the “uncertainty of riches” but to be generous and rich with good works, that they may store up true treasure and “take hold of that which is truly life.”
3. 2 Peter 3:10-13 (ESV) - “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
4. In Psalm 90:10-12 we are taught to number our brief days that pass with a sigh, and in Isaiah 40:6-8, and James 1:11, our lives and our riches are compared with the grass that fades quickly with passing seasons.
5. In Romans 7:18-25 and 2 Cor 4:16-18, we are encouraged to remain hopeful amidst the trials and suffering of life, looking not to things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen which last forever, the glory and magnitude of which far exceed our current suffering and pain.
In light of the scriptures, how should the Christian live in general? How should they live in the work place? I think, if you read them, the scriptures speak plain enough for themselves. Please look up the scriptures listed above for yourself and after meditating, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Are you seeking his kingdom and his righteousness first in all you do? Or are you seeking your own ambitions and kingdom? Are you content and trusting in God for his provision?
2. Do you seek to make this world your paradise and work to carve out your own bubble of happiness on earth, or do you work for the imperishable rewards and that which will never be taken from you?
3. How do you see other people, coworkers/bosses/employees, relatives/family around you? Do you see their souls in light of eternity? Do you live as God’s servant and representative to them in word and deed, to bring their souls from darkness to light?
4. Do you live like the rest of the world, somewhere in the state between a vegetable and a zombie, simply surviving through the monotony of daily routine and the blur of life? Or are you spiritually awake and aware of your purpose?
5. Finally, do you live with anxiety over troubles and suffering in this life? If so, my prayer for you is that you would be grounded upon the hope you have in Christ, not only during this life, but also in light of the incomparable glory and joy yet to be revealed to us.
We must realize one thing as believers in Jesus Christ. If we are to live for the life to come (and we know it is better to leave this world and be with him forever), then the only reason we are not already snatched away from this earth is because we have a purpose and mission while we are here. Trust me when I say, He would also rather have you free of this world’s burdens and pains. If you are still here, and have not passed away from this life, then you must seek the will of God for yourself here. Otherwise, what a tragic waste it would be to have spent these remaining years you have on earth in emptiness. Please seek to understand what the will and purpose of God is for you (Eph 5:15-17). It might be as simple as being a shining light in the midst of darkness, or salt for a flavorless world. You are the salt and light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)
Set your eyes on things above, and work for the things imperishable. It IS possible for us to live on this earth and go about our daily lives in an eternal manner. The question is where is our treasure? What is it that we truly desire and invest our time in? Are we panting after things that will be dissolved up with the elements on that last day? Rather let us find our purpose and mission here so that we can dedicate ourselves to our true Master who bought us with His blood. Let us make him our treasure and follow his instruction to store up for ourselves treasure in heaven.