The Messy Table: A 7-Day Bible Plan For WomenSample

Anchored to Eternity  

By Jenn Jewell

In my black heels and matching dress, I stood over the grave of someone I deeply loved.

I know what it’s like to face an empty seat at the dinner table or dial a familiar number just to hear that voicemail greeting one more time. I know what it’s like to not “get over” death, but to get through it—solely by the strength, comfort, and power of the Holy Spirit.

The truth is: We’re all dying—but no one wants to talk about it. We’d rather focus on the next big game, upcoming vacation, or urgent thing on our to-do list. And I get it. I do it too. I get lost in my own little bubble and caught up on the hamster wheel, forgetting that my one and only life is fleeting.

That’s depressing, you might say. To constantly think about dying.

On one hand, we are called to live wide awake to whatever is right in front of us. To our people, to our communities, to God’s whispers. We have been put here, at this exact time in history, for a divine purpose. But on the other hand, part of really living is understanding the frailty of life. To really live, we must grasp only having a minuscule amount of time to breathe air into our lungs and wear this beating heart. To really live, we must realize that life is a blink—and dare not to waste it.

In Psalm 90:12 NIV, Moses said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Another version says, “Teach us to recognize the brevity of life …” But how can remembering that life is short give us wisdom? This eternal perspective nudges us to cling to what will last forever in a world that is fading away. It urges us to anchor ourselves to eternity, not circumstance, and maximize the days we’ve been given.

Life is not forever, but eternity is. 

God and people; people and God. The Creator of the universe desires to spend the rest of eternity with His treasured creations. That’s why we purposely invest in our relationship with our Savior. That’s why we intentionally shout the Good News of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen. That’s why we don’t simply focus on the here and now, but keep our eyes fixed on the Kingdom of God.

We can be anchored to eternity.

Table Questions:

1. At the end of your life, what will really matter? 

2. Are you investing in things of eternal value?

3. How can you shift your perspective from the things of this world to the things of God?