Living for the Future Rather Than the Here and Now: 5 Reasons to Have an Eternal Perspective
Ever since I was a little girl, life has been all about the future. When I was younger, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. As a high school student, I planned for college. Once in college, I prepared for my future career. Then I got married and had children of my own. At this stage of life, I’m not only thinking about my own future, but I am now preparing my daughters for their future.
Generally speaking, most people are concerned about what’s to come. Even those who say they “live in the moment” think about the future to some degree. It’s a preoccupation we share as human beings. We want to know how our lives turn out. We want to feel secure in our futures.
Our obsession with the future isn’t anything new. Kings of old would have “prophets” who would tell them how to approach battle with an enemy kingdom. Fortune tellers and “seers” have been around as long as history can remember. As humans, we long for security and peace of mind. Understanding and foreseeing the future allows us to feel like things are under control.
One thing to consider, however, is that our desire to know the future is God-given…
Our need to know the future is a gift from God that sustains us through the trials of life.
God created us with the desire to seek out the future and to find peace in knowing the outcome of our lives. Our concern for the future leads us to Him – the only source of security.
Everything in this life will pass away… both the good and the bad. We work hard, we accomplish goals, we build our families and our portfolios – but none of these things matter in light of eternity. When we stand before God face to face, all that will matter is what we did or didn’t do for Him. Did we really know Jesus? Did we serve Him with our lives in obedience? Did we surrender all we had to God and His glory? These are the questions we will face.
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” – Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)
Being a Christian is far more simply than believing in God and attending church. It’s complete surrender. It’s living a life of repentance and obedience. It’s desiring that His will be done above your own.
- Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure our future in Him.
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. – 1 Peter 1:18-20 (NLT)
- As children of God, we have a priceless inheritance waiting for us in heaven.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT)
- Because of our hope for the future (heaven), we can have joy here in this life even when we endure trials.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
- Our hope in the future should bring about change in our lives (a.k.a. obedience). We have been given a priceless gift, and we owe our lives to the Giver of Life.
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)
- This life is temporary. Our future life in Christ, however, is eternal. It only makes sense to live our lives in light of our eternal future. Our focus should be on eternity, rather than the here and now.
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” …For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. – 1 Peter 1:17, 23 (NLT)
When we live in light of eternity, every decision we make is affected by it. It changes the way we think and behave, and our changed lives are evident to those around us.
It is then, that the world will be able to see the true hope we have in Jesus – a hope for the future that is secure.
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