Today’s Quote: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."- C.S. Lewis
Today’s Song: “Only The World”—Mandisa
Yesterday we talked about service and what it really means to move past ourselves.
The only way that I know to truly live a life of poured out servitude, is to be living with an eternal perspective.
Not to be living for the here and now, but rather for what comes after the here and now.
Eternity.
If we’re not living for eternity, we will never live poured out lives because we will feel the need to pack everything that our heart desires into this lifetime.
Our stock will be in this world.
Does that make sense?
It absolutely boggles my mind that people don’t talk more openly about eternity, or what they think happens after death.
I guess it's just more of a keep-it-to-yourself topic, like many things are in our culture.
But I can’t imagine that people don’t think about it.
As life goes on and we lose loved ones, and see tragedy, there must be more going on in the minds of the people who just quietly shake their heads and say things like, “it’s such a shame, what happened to so-and-so.”
Especially the elderly, as they watch their friends and former classmates get cancer, have strokes, and begin to drop like flies, and start to realize that their time is near as well.
I have to imagine that many more people than we realize, have in fact found peace in their heart with Jesus in their own quiet walk. God, please let it be so.
But I think that the solemn faces at funerals and the lack of open discussion speak of what a lot of people in our world think about eternity: they don’t!
I guess they assume that they’ll find out when they get there.
I once heard a pastor explain life in comparison to eternity like this:
I want you to imagine one of those flat lines running across a screen at the hospital. Picture that that line will run across that screen forever and ever, and there is one quick bloop on that line. That is life, in comparison to eternity. One little blip on the radar screen.
One little speck of dust in comparison to outer-space.
Eternity.
How crazy to not think about eternity.
In a lot of ways, how terribly sad.
Living this life as though it’s all there is.
I just can’t imagine thinking that everything has to come full circle here in this life, on earth.
How unjust the injustices must seem.
How deeply scarring and sad loss must be, if earth is all we have.
I think about how things like war and famine and death could cripple and break people’s spirit, if their faith is not resting in something far bigger and better.
Someone in control of it all, and someone good.
Jesus.
What’s life on this earth without Jesus?
What are people living for?
What are they doing for?
Look around and you will see. There are a whole lot of people putting a whole lot of stock in this world.
Getting stuff and trying to feel balanced and happy.
Trying to find their beginning, their end, and their in-between here inside of the frail flesh of this Earth.
It is no wonder that people indulge so much.
It is not wonder that people will so venomously jump up and defend a cause as if they are solely responsible for the outcome.
What heaviness!
I would do it too if I did not have a real deep faith that there is a whole other side apart from life on this earth. And that there is a good God who is in control of it all.
I too would defend with great passion and venom the causes for which I believe are most in need of justice:
Starving children
Aborted babies
War
Conservation-
would all be at the top of my list, if I felt like it was up to my hands and other human hands to save.
Not that I will sit back and do nothing.
I will do my part as God guides and gives me opportunity.
But to force and to hate and to expend all of my energy fighting for my own will to be done is not what I will do.
God would not have it.
He doesn’t call us to change the world by our own strength.
And through that, yes, we can change things, thank you Jesus!
But we are not the ones responsible for that change.
Change is in God’s hands, not ours.
Don’t go assuming responsibilities that are only Gods, like changing hearts and changing the world.
It will only lead to heaviness.
It is easy to get so passionate, or to get so scared about where our world is heading and feel like WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!
We do need to do something but it is not to take on the responsibility of the world. God calls us to be FAITHFUL. To give ourselves to Him and let Him show us what our little piece here on Earth is.
We each have a piece.
We have a purpose that we are called to. Our job is to do that, and to leave history and results in the hands of God.
Obedience, that is our job.
Because the reality is that there is a whole other HUGE side to things that we can neither see nor understand.
A place inside of which things do come full circle.
Where justice is served and injustice is healed in a deeper way than we even knew possible.
I have a feeling everything will be deeper than we knew possible in eternity.
Glorious and wonderful.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” – 1Corinthians 2:9
I love you Jesus, and I thank you that you are in control of all things, not me.
And that while I am called to obedience, and to do what you’ve called me to do in this life, you alone are the one responsible for change. And you alone are in control of what happens on this planet earth.
And you are good.
I thank you that everything does not have to make perfect sense to me and that even when it might appear to human eyes that you are not good- the reality is that there is a whole other side that we can neither yet see nor understand.
A whole other thing that is so much bigger than our measly lives and this measly earth.
Eternity.
Oh Lord, help us to live for it by faith, and to not get caught up in all of the ridiculousness, and strife, and anger, and hate that comes from living for this world.
That we would know that you have prepared a place for us with no more of the difficulties and pain that we face here on this earth.
A place where everything comes full-circle.
A place so wonderful that we can't even fathom it now with our human minds.
And God that we would recognize our life on this earth for what it is.
A blip on the radar screen.
A vapor (James 4:14).
And that we would be faithful to do what you have called us to do while we’re here- and leave the rest up to you.
Thank you that you know who we are- and that you help us while we’re here.
Help us to live for you, Jesus.
Today’s Dare: Do you remember back in Phase One when you drew that stick-figure that was carrying the box that was too heavy for her?
Well, today I would like for you to draw a similar illustration, but this time, write all over it some different things you've been carrying.
What world, community or even family problems have you been carrying on your shoulders that are not yours to carry?
What things have you become bitter or fearful about, that are effecting your walking in peace, lightness, and trust in God.
Spend some extra time Pouring Out those things in your POFU time, and pray that God would begin to give you a sense of a far bigger reality.
