Live in Light of Eternity
One of my favorite spots to end up at is on top of a mountain. You know why? When I climb to that mountain top and look around, I am absolutely amazed at the vastness of God’s glorious creation. I then realize not only is He the ultimate creator and sustainer of our universe, but this life isn’t about me-it's all about God. The menial or petty things happening in my life soon disappear as I remember how small I truly am in comparison to the world around me. John Piper says, “It is about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself.”
A few weekends ago, Josiah Leuenberger preached a sermon on the topic of glory. It had me later thinking about my perspective on the world, why I do the things I do, and how I ought to be living with eternity in mind. Well, what does living in light of eternity practically look like in day to day living?
This sermon also sparked in my memory the time when I was leading a high schoolers small group a few months ago, one of the girls said, ‘I didn’t know what an eternal mindset was until you said it yesterday.’ This showed me the significant impact this seemingly simple truth of sharing eternity can have.
Two questions that were raised from Josiah’s talk were these:
Are you longing for fulfillment that lasts?
Or significance that lasts for eternity?
If you answered yes to these two questions, I want to encourage you that it’s never too late to put your time and energy into something that lasts. In a culture filled with instant gratification, our hearts are always left insatiable; longing for more and more.
In these moments of searching for satisfaction, my mind knows that Jesus is the only one who can satisfy, but that truth rarely transfers its way down into my heart. Maybe you’re sitting in your cubicle, nine to five job with little to no human interactions during your day, not finding any fulfillment in it. Perhaps you’re a stay at home mom who can barely catch a breath, and never sees any visible significance in staying home and raising your children. Maybe you’re a young student who feels as if the world is at your hands with endless options, not knowing where to even begin; or you’re coming to the end of your life wanting to accomplish as much as you possibly can before leaving this earth.
Regardless of your occupation, age, location, or season of life you’re currently facing right now, God will provide you the necessary fulfillment and satisfaction in life, and significance for His kingdom. There must be more, you think. The key to finding this satisfaction in life can be found in this following verse.
Colossians 3:2 says, ‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ Now, maybe you are asking yourself, ‘what does it mean to look at the things above me?’. No, it’s not literally looking up at the blue sky itself, but it’s setting your gaze and affections on the beauty and glorious truths of Christ himself. It’s removing the gaze off yourself and onto Christ and his people. It’s looking at the current season or situation you’re facing and knowing there is more to it! It’s ‘looking not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.’ (Philippians 2:4)
When we take the focus off ourselves, we are then able to realize we were put on this earth for more. We were ultimately made to glorify Christ, and to make His name known.
That, my friends, is our true purpose and mission.
One of my all-time favorite book’s is Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. In this book, Piper states, “Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.”
Find your God given passions and desires, whatever stage or state of life you’re in. The false lie we often can get stuck in is, perhaps, believing that in order to accomplish great things for God’s kingdom, we must work at a church, or go on this year long missions' trip, or volunteer this many times a week. The wonderful truth that we can abide in is this: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in HIM (John Piper).
Will you consider implementing an eternal mindset in everyday living by asking yourself, ‘What truly matters in this life?’. Remember, God will provide what we need to make his glory known! He will never leave us hanging on our own. Pray that you and the people around you would have eternity on their hearts and minds. This week let’s seek to serve others for the glory of God by living out our purpose and mission as representatives of Jesus Christ.
“Remember, you have one life. That’s all. You were made for God. Don’t waste it.” - John Piper
