Pastor Wendy Treat often says, "life is short, but eternity is long." That is so true. How many of us are saying things like, "just yesterday it was Christmas, now today is Valentine's Day?" Or maybe, "my little girl was just 5 and now she's getting married." Time goes by so quickly; this life is so short.
Yet eternity is long; it is never-ending. How many of us are spending our lives as if life is what is long and important and eternity is short and not giving it the importance it deserves? I know those who aren't Christ followers live that way, but that's understandable since they don't recognize the significance. But for those of us who are following Christ--we do realize how important eternity is, yet how often we spend most of our thought processes on today or tomorrow.
I am so guilty of this. I truly believe God means for us to live an abundant life right now. But right now isn't all this life is all about.
Father, help me to put the first things first. Help me to spend my energies, my thoughts, my prayers on what I will take with me into eternity. I can take my friends. I can take my family. I can take the stranger on the street. I can take the grocery story clerk, the young harried mother of a toddler I encounter, the wealthy, the poor. At least I can do my part to take them--the choice is theirs.
Help me remember I can take my character. I can take all the intangibles like my thoughts, my humility, my selflessness. I can also take the intangibles I don't care to like my thoughts, my pride, my selfishness. Help me to put time and energy into building my character to be like You.
Help me put Your gift of eternal life into perspective. Help me make the most of this life that I will be blessed in the next.
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