Temporary Things
2 Corinthians 4: 16 – 18 “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. NLT
As we travelled from Easter to Pentecost over the past two months we have been focusing on what the “church” can and should become. We spoke of leadership, generosity, faith, healing, testimony, inclusion, and all of the characteristics that made the early church so successful, and so Christ-like.
As we begin to get into our summer, may we not forget that the things of this world are temporary. Our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed daily, and our present troubles will not last forever. We follow a Savior who has made it possible for us to one day experience eternal life, and we have this hope to look forward to in our present struggle.
So what do we do between now and then? How can we possibly see and focus on this eternal future when our world is crumbling all around us? We must fix our gaze, not a glance, on the things that are unseen. When we allow ourselves to be consumed by the things of this world, even though many of those things do need our attention, we can lose sight of the one who loves us, cares for us, and has made this eternal life possible.
When we trust Jesus in the middle of our mess, we open the door to healing, and we allow ourselves the ability to have a relationship with the one that will love us. When we pray, on all occasions, we invite the Holy Spirit, our guide and advocate, to be there with us and to help us. The things of this world will soon pass away. Do we want to be remembered as someone who worries about the things of this world, or do we want to be remembered as someone who brought eternal life with them, wherever we may go, and to whomever we may come in contact with?
May our community know that our church is focused on eternal things, not temporary things!
– Pastor Mike
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