The Bible describes us as pottery (Isa 29:16; Rom 9:21) The Bible says that God has placed eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11), but that this life is a vapor (James 4:14), a shadow (1 Chr 29:15). David wrote,
O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! (Psa 39:4-5)"Life is short." We have t-shirts that begin with that fact. So where do we go from there? We'll stick in something immediate -- "... so eat dessert first" -- or foolish, like the acronym, "YOLO," for "you only live once" by which we mean "so be as stupid as you want to be." (Why does YOLO never mean "You only live once, so do the hard things, do the best things, do the eternal things"?) Even in our recognition of the fleeting nature of life we embrace the temporary over the eternal.
So we -- even Christians -- live our lives largely in the temporary. We're most concerned about things that won't last and most animated about the short-term. It's politics or making money or fame or "stuff." We work hard for that which we cannot keep and refuse to sacrifice to gain that which we cannot lose. We consider it an affront that God would allow people to die, as if God owes it to us to enlarge the immediate and diminish the infinite. We Christians know that life is short and eternity is ours and still we muddle about working the immediate and complaining about missed meals like the Israelites in the desert.
Brethren, these things ought not be. We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20), strangers and exiles on earth (Heb 11:13). We're eternal people suited in temporary shelters to do God's work until He calls us home. Shouldn't we be taking a broader view? Shouldn't we be living with longer aims? Sure, we need some things to be here doing what God wants us to do, but He has assured us He'll provide that (Php 4:19). Why are we so caught up in the here and now? How could we ask things like, "Should I give to the church or get out of debt?" We are children of God given eternal life and too often all we see is the here and now. We need to look beyond.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Col 3:2)
6 comments:
A friend at work asked the question " why am i here? "
I noted how others felt that the question could not be definitively answered.
And this is just the middle question to " where did i come from ?" and "where am i going?"
the Why question, i felt could be answered from the story of Genesis. Adam was Created in the image of God, and walked with God. I feel that the answer is very simple.
we are here to Glorify God. that is to say that we were originally made to commune with God and enjoy his presence. when sin came into the picture all that was destroyed. but thru the work of Christ, believers have been restored to this very purpose.
all things to come will be borne out of this one thing. I walk with, commune with and Glorify my God.
Whenever I see people say, as Bob does here in the comments, that we (Christians) are here to glorify God, I always think of churchgoers I have known whose final years were ridden with brain problems (Alzheimer's, stroke, tumor, etc) and could do no such thing.
Dare we say those people were not true Christians if God sent them down a path of being utterly incapable of glorifying Him?
Odd. Is it your understanding that the only way to glorify God is to be a thoroughly mentally and physically healthy individual? I'm thinking that if "the rivers clap their hands" and "the hills sing for joy together" (Psa 98:8), if everything that has breath can praise the Lord (Psa 150:6), if "the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork" (Psa 19:1), if God's "invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Rom 1:20), I don't see how an Alzheimer's or stroke victim couldn't also.
I was at a fund raising event for Joni and Friends the other night and I’m not sure there are many people who glorify God more intensely than Joni. I see too many on the left who go in about “The least of these.”, yet don’t consider the disabled or the unborn worthy.
Additional thought.
It seems like whatever value we have is as beings created in and bearing the image of God. If that’s the case then disabilities or sickness doesn’t diminish our intrinsic value.
Amen, Craig
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