God Designed Me for More Than This Earth

In review of 2 Corinthians 4:18 it says, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (NIV).

Today’s verse is at the end of 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. In it Paul reminds me that I may be pressed on every side by troubles, but I will never be completely crushed. I may be perplexed, but not driven to despair. I may be hunted down, but never abandoned by God. I may get knocked down, but I will never destroyed. Through suffering, my body continues to share in the the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in me. I believe in God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise me with Jesus and present me to himself. My example in this life is for others benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

That is why I should never give up. Though my body is dying, my spirit is being renewed every day. For my present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for me a glory that will vastly outweigh them and will last forever. So I don't look at the troubles I can see now; rather, I fix my gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things I see now will soon be gone, but the things I cannot see will last forever.

Paul reminds me that I am never at the end of my rope or my hope. My body is subject to sin and suffering, but God will never abandon me. Because Christ has won the victory over death, I can have eternal life. All my risks, humiliations, and trails are opportunities for Chris to demonstrate his power and presence in and through me. When opposition, slander, or disappointment threaten to rob me of the victory, remember that no one can destroy what God has accomplished through me. As I face great troubles, it's easy to focus on the pain rather than on my ultimate goal. I must focus on the reward for my faith and the joy that lasts forever. No matter what happens to me in this life, I have the assurance of eternal life, when all suffering will end and all sorrow will flee away.

It can be easy to lose heart and quit. Rather than quitting when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on experiencing the inner strength that came from the Holy Spirit. I shouldn't let fatigue, pain, or criticism force me off the job. Renew my commitment to serving Christ. Don't forsake my eternal reward because of the intensity of today's pain. My very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to Strengthen me moment by moment.

My trouble should not diminish my faith or disillusion me. I should realize that there is a purpose in my suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits: (1) They remind me of Christ's suffering for me; (2) they keep me from pride; (3) they cause me to look beyond this brief life; (4) they give me opportunities to prove my faith to others; and (5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. See my troubles as opportunities!

My ultimate hope when I face troubles is the realization that this life is not all there is, there is life after death! Knowing that I will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help me live above the pain that I face in this life.

God created me to live in heaven with him for eternity. Heaven is my home, not Earth. That’s why we sometimes experience discontentment and dissatisfaction in life. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Otherwise, we might think we can live without God. He created us to long for something much better — a home is heaven with him. A fish would never be happy living on land, because it was made for water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn’t allowed to fly. I will never feel completely satisfied on Earth, because I was made for more. I will have happy moments here, but nothing compared with what God has planned for me. This is also why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. But this is not the end of the story. Realizing that life on Earth is just temporary should radically alter my values. Eternal values, not temporal ones, should be the deciding factor for your decisions. As C. S. Lewis observed, “All that is not eternal is eternally useless.” The Bible tells us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).

Bottom Line:

Fix you gaze not on what is in front of you, but focus on what is not seen, the eternal that God provides.

What this means to me:

I am to fix my eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what see and feel today is temporary, but what is unseen is what will be eternal.

In summary, Troubles will come and I may feel like giving up. But no matter what happens, I will never be abandoned by God. How I respond to and work through this is an example for others. For my present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they will produce for me a glory that will vastly outweigh what I'm going through and ad will last forever. The key for me is to not fix my gaze on the things that I can see, but rather the things that I can't see, the ones that will last forever. So while it can be easy to lose heart and want to quite, I shouldn't let fatigue, pain, or criticism force me off of the job. I am to just renew my commitment to serving Christ. Give God an opportunity to demonstrate his power. See my troubles as opportunities!

Having Heaven In Mind Changes Everything About How I Live Today

In review of Hebrews 11:15-16 it says, “If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. But they didn’t want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them” (TLB).

In Hebrews 11 I’m reminded of the faith that Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah had. They all died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and actually welcomed it. They all agreed that they were foreigners and nomads on earth. They were all looking for a country they could call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, and has prepared a great city for them.

I am a foreigner and this world is not my real home. I cannot live here forever. As such It is best for me to not have the mindset to be attached those this world's desires and possessions that I can't leave them when God commands.

As I read their stories I can see that all of these folks of faith may have died without receiving all that God had promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven. It can be easy to become frustrated and defeated because my needs, wants, expectations, and demands are not immediately met now that I follow Christ as my Savior. I can also feel discouraged because the achievement of my goals seem far away. When I find myself in this situation it’s best for me to look back and take courage from these heroes of faith, who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet continued to believe.

Having Heaven in mind can change everything about how I will live today. If I’m headed to Heaven, then that reality should impact how I live here on Earth.

When I keep this in mind, my value system changes. Instead of living for the here and now, I start to live for eternity. I can also live knowing my future is secure. No matter what happens to me on Earth, I’ll spend an eternity with God in a place more amazing than anywhere I have ever been.

I’m learning that to live for my eternal destination that I:

Should not be distracted by temptation. Peter tells me, “Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11 TLB). I can be distracted by lots of things, both good and bad. I need to stay focused on what’s of eternal significance and learn to delay gratification. Our society tries to convince me to do just the opposite. Instead stay focused on what’s ahead.

Next don’t be discouraged by trouble. Paul tells me, “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” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT). When I live in light of eternity, trouble just doesn’t bother me as much anymore. I know troubles won’t last forever, so I simply don’t give up.

Lastly, focus my energy on what will last. “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here” (Colossians 3:2 TLB). Fulfill the purposes of God in your life. Live a life of worship. Build relationships with God’s people. Invest your time in becoming more like Jesus through discipleship. Serve others with abandon. Tell people about Jesus. These are the activities that will last forever.

I was made for Heaven. Since I’ve made Jesus the leader of my life, I’ll get to spend eternity there. That's truth that needs to sink in and be allowed to change

Bottom Line:

Don’t turn back, keep living for the long term heavenly city God has in mind.

What this means to me:

Instead of just giving up, I need to keep in mind and live for the long term heavenly city God has made for me.

This morning I especially needed the reminder about not being discouraged by trouble. Living in light of eternity helps me to not let today’s troubles bother me. The trouble will not last forever. So I need to never give up!

Reasons To Never Give Up

In review of Galatians 6:9 it says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Bottom Line:

Don’t become weary or tired of doing what is good, living the right way or helping others.  At the right and proper time we will reap a harvest of blessing and everlasting life, If we do not give up.

What this means to me:

I am to never become weary or tired of doing what is good, living the right way or helping others. At the right and proper time I will reap a harvest of blessing and everlasting life, If I do not give up. Failure is never final. I’ll never be a failure until I quit and it’s always too soon to quit. Rick Warren explains that “You can’t determine a person’s greatest by his talent, wealth, or education. The Greatest is better determined by what it takes to discourage him.” So, I need to think what does it take to discourage me from going after a dream. Do I get discouraged because a friend, relative or family member tells me, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The Bible says in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (NIV). God is telling me to “just keep on, keeping on.” God will work in my life according to my faith.  The Bible says, “Without faith it’s impossible to please God” and “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” and “According to your faith it will be done unto you.” So I need to consider what I’m doing in faith? I may want to consider adding the following question to my daily quiet time routine, “God, what can I do today that will require faith?” It’s an important question, because its the things that require my faith that are going to please God. There are a lot of things in my life that I don’t have control over. I didn’t control who my parents were, when and where I was born,, or what my race or nationality is. I didn’t control what gifts and talents I was given. And I didn’t decide how I look.  But one I thing I do have complete control over is how much I choose to believe God. God will use people who expect him to act, who never give up, who take risks in faith, who get his dream and go after it. It’s my choice whether I want to be the kind of person God uses to accomplish his purpose. Today I will consider what act of faith God may be asking me to take today.