Unconditional Acceptance, Conditional ApprovalShembull

Already Attained

The journey of life ends in the blink of an eye. It is short and sweet: a brief flash in the long history of eternity. Our sense of time is not the same as God’s. What are years to us are but a day to Him.

Life on Earth is a brief scene in a long scroll. God is the director, producer, and true Star in the cosmic story; the story of heaven. It is like a race; we must run with patience, stripping away what hinders us until we reach the finish line.

Our prize is to participate in this story, to play our part well, and to reach the goal with joy, bearing witness to Jesus Christ and His grace. We are to turn our gaze heavenward and partake in communion with Christ Jesus. What hinders us from achieving this is the sin that obstructs our path.

God has already granted us His acceptance as a beautiful, everlasting gift. It is eternal, just like His grace.

When we view our lives in the light of eternity, we see that many of our concerns are in vain, as they are confined to this earth. By fixing our eyes on the eternal, the purpose of our lives changes. We can see humanity’s great need for God and for breaking free from sin. We are collaborators with God on this earth, and we attain a spiritual maturity that unlocks many of the riches of God’s Kingdom.

When we lose sight of this perspective and attempt to control our circumstances, turning the temporary and superficial experience of this life into our everything, we make our life an idol to worship, manipulate, and control.

We try to work towards heaven with an earthly vision, a heaven redesigned in our image, instead of toward the true eternal Kingdom of God. Through God’s acceptance, we have already gained access to His Kingdom. We have it all! Heaven is now, as well as later, and our collaboration is in making everyone aware of it. At best, our brief life on this earth is a celebration of eternity to come and a demonstration of God’s grace and great love for us.

Lord, allow me to have an eternal perspective on the circumstances and situations I face in my day-to-day life. I no longer want to be the one who directs my life, but I want You to guide my steps. Help me to pay attention to the things that truly matter and are eternal.