Eternal Perspective

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Do you ever feel like you have lost a little bit of your eternal perspective? Like you cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end? I've been thinking a lot about that lately. It's such an easy thing to do too, and hard to diagnose. I mean, I don't feel like I ever really lose my eternal perspective ~ I pray daily, think about God, try to be a witness for him, and go to Bible studies and church, and read my Bible. That's eternal perspective, right? But lately I've been thinking about how we forget the fact that we need to have an eternal perspective, and that it creeps in in sometimes insidious ways. Most often it shows up as selfish prayers. At least in my life anyway.

It's been an interesting last few months, especially since I know change is coming, at least on one or two levels. I still don't know where I'll end up when I'm done, maye staying here in Hershey or moving on. I'm excited by change, ready for change, yet still hesitant in some ways. God has been so good to me in the last few years - He has blessed me with a wonderful apartment, great friends and a caring community, and my family that's nearby. I've especially enjoyed getting to know my sister at lot more and spending time with her. It's been neat having my mom and dad nearby, and going for walks with my mom or lunch with my dad on a regular basis. Moving away would be exciting on one hand - seeing a new city, having new opportunities, etc... But on the other hand, it would be hard to let go of all the good things God has given me right here. I often waste time when I should be doing something else and working hard at the tasks God has given me for the moment.

So when I pray, it's often with a mind toward - "God, it's going to be hard to give this up and start all over. I'm weary, and don't know how well I'll deal with the loneliness or the initial lack of community, or starting all over with the new job, the new community, etc... God, it seems like all of my friends have found someone, or are married, and you haven't provided in that area yet. It would be really nice to have someone to share a life with, and when I move, I can move with/because of them, and not have to strike out completely on my own again. God, please provide a new job with lots of people to interact with, and to glorify you in my relationships. Please be forging my interactions with people ahead of time. It would be really neat to see what you're up to God - I know you're up to good things, but I don't see exactly what they are right now. Help me be patient until you reveal them to me".

While all of that is true, and it's even good to share with God what's going on, I feel that I've been losing eternal perspective. Have I been praising God for the good things he's given me the last few years? Not really. I kind of act like I deserve it, rather than being grateful that he's given me this apartment for the past two years, and allowed my family to live close by. He even provided a second family for me in grad school, and I didn't even ask him for it!

Matthew 7:9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Marriage is another place where I think we can often lose eternal perspective. Too often we want to be married to satisfy our longing for companionship and relationship with others. We want it to fulfill our desire for unconditional love. We forget that marriage is an earthly picture of our relationship as the church and the bride of Christ. We should be focusing on making ourselves ready as the bride of Christ first and foremost. Marriage is indeed a good thing, and can provide that companionship and relationship. But if we don't see ourselves as who we are in Christ, as his bride, then we might run into problems later on.

Finally, I've been thinking about eternal perspective and time. Would we waste as much time if we knew that our time on earth is limited and precious? Or would we make eternal choices- kingdom choices with our time? And what do those kingdom choices look like?


Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.