Experience 14 Days of Fresh AirSample

Focus on Your Destination

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, we see how Paul thrived in the wind-blast of God’s Spirit and sailed the adventure of a lifetime. Being shipwrecked and imprisoned, beaten and belittled, the guy never lost sight of his first love, and this passionate commitment grounded him regardless of his circumstances.

Paul never lost heart and neither should we. Why? Because what we see and experience around us is not all there is. If we want to enjoy life in the vibrant, fully alive way that we all crave, then we must focus on something bigger than our problems. When we have a larger perspective, we realize that most of our problems are really not significant in the long run—for example, we’ll never remember ten years from now how much it cost to pay the late fee on this month’s mortgage payment. And if our problems are more life-consuming and painful (those things like divorce, sick children, cancer), we have all the more reason to recognize that God and his purposes are bigger.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I think our grandparents understood this principle. They didn’t expect to have everything they wanted like we often do today. They seemed to display contentment and gratitude that transcended their circumstances and life’s losses. So many of the old songs they loved were about heaven. “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!” Or, “Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away.” Singing these hymns helped them refocus regularly on the reality of eternity.

Likewise, my grandfather often talked about heaven and about how he longed to be reunited with our relatives “already invested on the other side.” He envisioned something that filled him with a peace and a joy that didn’t rely on what kind of car he drove, where he lived, or even the condition of his health. He knew that there was more to this life than material comforts and sensual experiences.

Indeed, God calls us to travel light by keeping our destination in sight. When we live for eternity, our difficulties don’t disappear—but they don’t weigh us down either. We can choose to focus on our problems even as we try to reach some imaginary place of trouble-free living. Or we can focus on eternal things and enjoy the fresh breeze of joyful purpose. Live for eternity, and you’ll never live another day unfulfilled.