Day 6: Life Is A Temporary Assignment

I knew weekends would be tough for our study. People are so busy, but I want to thank you for your faithfulness in reading your chapters and commenting and sharing. If you're a little behind, it's OK. Go to the chapter you're at and continue where you left off. Keep up the good work.

Point to Ponder: Life is a temporary assignment.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
If the only thing that is going to last for eternity is your relationship to God, what are the implications for your values, your priorities, your possessions, and your schedule?

Since God is more interested in your character than your comfort, how does that truth change the way you should view and respond to your problems?

Do you know anyone who has already gone on to heaven? Based on what you have just read, what do you imagine they would like to say to you if they could?

My response:

This chapter tells us that we are here on earth temporarily. This is not our permanent home. It says that we shouldn't be too attached to it because the time we spend here is nothing compared to the time we spend in eternity with God. It says we should see ourselves as foreigners visiting a foreign country. Our real citizenship is in heaven.

As I pondered this chapter, it has had a profound impact on me. So many of our problems in this world come because of differences that we aren't able to resolve. Differences in skin color, in nationality, in ethnicity. Wouldn't we solve a lot of our problems if we looked at ourselves as Christians, as children of God, instead of as black, white, Samoan or Mexican? Wouldn't we get rid of so much of the hate in the world if we saw each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, awaiting our final destination, instead of fighting for things in this temporary way station?

Truly seeing this life as temporary is life altering. I cannot emphasize how profoundly that has changed my life. The knowledge that all we do and accrue in this world is temporary gives me the proper perspective to go after only things that are eternal, and that is a relationship with Christ. I can't take the money with me. I can't take the pain with me. I can't take the hurt with me. So why carry it around? Why make money or power or prestige your number one priority? There's nothing wrong with any of those things, until you let it be your driving force in your life, like how we discussed in an earlier chapter.

I loved this paragraph in the chapter: "The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world. It also explains why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. This is not the end of the story." So often, we think of our lives as unfulfilled if we don't meet certain goals. But God has a larger perspective, an eternal perspective. Things seem unfair to us because we're looking at it from a "this world" perspective, and not an eternal perspective. Life on earth is temporary. The sooner we accept and come to grips with that reality, the more prepared we will be for eternity. Be blessed.