An Eternal Perspective
OPENING PRAYER:
God, thank you for continuing to enlarge my view of eternal life. May I hold all things in their proper place knowing that regardless of current circumstances there is a glorious future that awaits.
READ:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:18-21 (NIV)
REFLECT:
If there was a figure in the Bible we could point to as someone who faced considerable suffering, the writer of Romans, Paul, was one of them. In his letter to the church in Corinthians he says he faced lashing from the Jews on five occasions, three times he was beaten, once he was stoned, three times he was shipwrecked (one time he spent a day and night in open water) and is always in danger. All this and he dismisses them as not even worth comparing to the bliss of heaven. Instead of looking back at his suffering he looks forward to liberation from bondage. He goes on to say that just as he looks forward to the glory that will be revealed in us, creation itself also looks forward to its redemption. God is redeeming and making new all things!
APPLY:
The key to contentment and joy in life is found in the passage above, perspective. When we have a heavenly perspective, we go about our lives in light of the fact that all of creation will be redeemed. The big things in life become little things when compared to living in a redeemed world with redeemed people for all of eternity. Imagine experiencing your best days on earth every day, but incomprehensibly better. We have all accomplished difficult things in life knowing that what was on the other side vastly outweighed any temporary pain or suffering. Our life on earth is no different. Christianity doesn’t offer us an easy way through life, it offers us something far greater.
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, give me an eternal perspective. Help my understanding of eternal life become bigger so that the cares of this world become smaller.
WORSHIP: