Living from the Perspective of Eternity

Living from the Perspective of Eternity

Living from the Perspective of Eternity
Lately I’ve been trying to do each day at least one thing that will make me happy the next day. This has had an impact on my life. This has helped me to do things that I truly value. Try it yourself, it will be bless you.

But I also want to challenge you a bit further. This world is no all there is. What if we did each day at least something that will make us happy in eternity? What if we were living and viewing our lives from the perspective of eternity?

Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. (Phil.3:8-11, AMP, emphasis added,*)

Maybe then also we could declare like Paul that everything compared to Christ is rubbish. Maybe then also we could affirm that knowing Christ is not just a mental awareness but a deep personal union. Maybe then also we could be progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Christ.

So I challenge you to try this. Try to do every day something that you will be happy about in eternity. Do it prayerfully, let the Holy Spirit guide you to see things you can do that has eternal value. May we all strive towards perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of Jesus Christ more strongly and more clearly. And that we may personally come to know the power outflowing from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Gracious God,
Teach us to view our lives from the perspective of eternity.
Empower us to make choices that we’ll be happy about in eternity.
Enable us to become deeply acquainted with Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What kind of choices will make you happy in eternity?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live from the perspective of eternity!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Image courtesy of Paul Burger, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday and Faith Jam.

8 thoughts on “Living from the Perspective of Eternity

  1. This verse is one of my deepest longings. I love how the AMP version defines to “know” Christ – “that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly.” May we together go deeper in that knowing! Thank you, Mari-Anna.

  2. Mari Anna,

    Your injunction to “Try to do every day something that you will be happy about in eternity. Do it prayerfully, let the Holy Spirit guide you…” is so good. Thank you.

    Thinking it through with you,

    Jennifer Dougan
    http://www.jenniferdougan.com

  3. The statement of “try to do every day something that you will be happy about in eternity” challenged me. A reminder to make a difference!

  4. It’s not always easy to recognize our “ditches”. Maybe because we are so comfortable in them. But when we seek God, He will begin making our ditches uncomfortable, He will highlight what is keeping us from drawing closer to Him.
    He’s awesome like that!

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