Prefer to Listen?
In the last several weeks, I have had several friends and acquaintances pass away or lose their parents or grandparents. I haven’t been able to attend every funeral or memorial service, unfortunately, but have been struck by the brevity of life through all of this.
Funerals always give us pause to reflect on what really matters in life. They interrupt our routines, even if it was someone we did not know well. In that interruption comes time for thought and reflection.
At one of the funerals I was able to attend, the pastor mentioned several Scriptures, including James 4:13-15.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
We spend so much of our time and energy focused on temporary things and making plans without giving any thought to God’s plans. James does not tell us to stop planning, but to recognize that God is sovereign over those plans. We can still make those plans while living with eternity in view.
As we learn to live with an eternal perspective, our priorities begin to shift. This affects how we handle relationships and conflicts because we recognize that the people around us are also eternal souls. We begin to interact with others differently: with greater patience, compassion, and humility.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
-1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Living with eternity in mind also changes the way we face our fears and doubts. Knowing that God is sovereign and that His plan ultimately ends in eternity with Him helps quiet our anxieties. Like Paul in Philippians 4, we can learn contentment in every circumstance, whether we are in need or experiencing abundance.
I often think of the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10. He showed compassion and mercy on the beaten man, even paying for his lodging and care. This example of how we are to demonstrate God’s love to anyone we come across who needs help is a strong testimony of living with an eternal mindset.
As we turn our eyes toward Jesus and eternity, our desires and goals will shift. We no longer pursue wealth, experiences, or success simply to make this life more comfortable. Instead, we seek to use our time, resources, relationships, and experiences for things that will last forever: to point others to Christ, to forgive others and reconcile when possible, and to worship Christ in all we do.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.-Helen Lemmel
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