We wait

For the Christian, there is something to look forward to. Something we should feel great eagerness for. We are anticipating a time when all sorrows will be wiped away. We are anticipating a time when the kingdom will be consummated. We are anticipating the unity of all tribes, tongues, and nations. We are anticipating being with the Lord forever. In remembering that this earth is not our home, that we truly do have citizenship in heaven, we instruct our hearts and minds as we interact with the world around us.

So we wait. And we wait—with anticipation.

The Apostle Paul waited well and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he gives us a vision for how we, too, can wait well. Paul’s story is told and retold, and for good reason. Early in his life, he terrorized the church. He describes himself during that period of his life as a Hebrews of Hebrews, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church, and blameless according to the law (Phil 3:1–6). Paul’s conversion took away his worldly status among the Jews—he counted it all as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (v. 7). He suffered, was imprisoned, and even was slandered in the church. But it was all nothing compared to gaining Christ. He looked toward heaven and the age to come, knowing that resurrection from the dead in the new creation is worth any suffering in the here and now (vv. 8–11).

Paul understood that fixing our eyes on eternity helps us daily fight for joy. We don’t deny the struggles of the present, but we also do not lose heart. We can enjoy today because the Lord is at hand. This is the day that He has made, and we know there’s a perfect eternity to look forward to, that the troubles of today won’t have the last word (2 Cor. 4:16–18). Yet while all of this is true, we can also still marvel at what God is doing in the present, knowing that in time He will make all things new. Eternity has everything to do with our enjoyment today.

Even with the security of knowing that our future is one of everlasting peace and joy, it is difficult to wait and maintain that eternal perspective. Regardless of our situation in life—rich or poor, young or old—it can be difficult to fix our eyes on the yet-to-be-seen. I’ve found that there are three ways to fix our eyes daily on eternity with anticipation that will affect the way we live today.

PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF

This is not a phrase I created. It’s one that I’ve heard over the years and has stuck with me. To preach the gospel to ourselves is doing exactly as it sounds—we need to remind ourselves of the truth found in the gospel. We need to remind ourselves that there is a real battle we fight with sin and that there is great forgiveness in Christ. We need to remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And we also need to remember that Jesus is the risen King and is interceding for us. All that Jesus has accomplished in the gospel frees us to enjoy God’s good gifts. All good things come from the Father. When we forget the truth of the gospel, we often find ourselves mired in guilt, condemnation, legalism, and idolatry, which keep us from truly enjoying life today as we wait for our future glory.

FIGHT IDOLATRY

Idolatry can be tough to pinpoint in our lives until something happens to the thing we value most or the thing we’ve placed our hope in. For some, work is an idol in that it not only hinders the enjoyment of rest, but it also becomes difficult for us to actually enjoy the blessing of work. For others, hope is found in relationships, which means that if there’s something that affects a particular relationship, despair, anger, or strife often ensue. Anytime we begin to worship the created thing rather than the Creator, we will lose sight of what is eternal, of what matters most. Everything on this earth is wasting away and is not worthy of our worship. Only God is worthy of our worship. God alone will always provide perfect joy, peace, and love. Until our faith becomes sight, we will need to fight the temptation to forget our Savior and turn to the worship of far lesser things. God commands that we have no other gods before Him. When we go against this command, it will only take away our true joy.

REMEMBER TIME

We deal in twenty-four-hour cycles. We wake up, work, play, eat, go to bed, and then do it all over again the next day. The concept of eternity requires imagination—it’s almost unfathomable and most definitely mysterious. However, the reality is that life is hard, and although our experience of time reveals that everything has a beginning and end, this life can feel like an eternity. God’s Word brings comfort and clarity as we wait. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Cor. 4:17–18). The trials of life, the burdens of today, these twenty-four hours that seem to be on endless repeat are only momentary. Every hour, every affliction is preparing us for something greater—an eternal weight of glory. Remember that eternity does exist and our time here is only momentary—a blip on the great story that is being written for eternity.

Eagerly wait. Look forward to the redemption of our bodies and to our consummated union with the Savior. We have great hope, and it’s this hope that allows us to wait with gratitude for what the Lord has prepared for us. Nothing will compare to the perfection that will be heaven. Nothing can come close. Our minds can’t grasp what it will be like to mourn or weep no longer but to delight and rejoice forever. Our minds can’t understand what it will be like to be without sin—imagine that we will be without sin! The daily battle we face with our flesh will be over. Let’s fix our eyes on Him as we anticipate the good gift we will receive one day—eternal life and everlasting enjoyment in a new creation.

Author: T.Newbell