Amid all the trials and tribulations of our world it can be easy for the Christian to forget the great gift of eternal life given to them by Christ. We as Christians may talk about it, preach about it, and it even study it often enough but the hustle and bustle of the day to day distracts us from this message. Eternity seems so far away compared to the next daily task we have on our calendars. We reside in the “now” and the “now” demands our attention.
However, sooner or later, our attention is forced to confront eternity. When death comes in all its terror, the Christian is face to face with their own mortality. This thought alone is overwhelming to us. Death lies to us. Grief clouds our hearts to see death as a finality. We are tempted to sink into despair and hopelessness. But take heart dear Christian because Christ has overcome the world! Think of the holy festival of All Saints. We remember those who were called into glory and now rest from their labors with Christ. They are not dead, but alive. They live now with Christ. Just as we will live with Christ. This is where the Christian’s vision should be oriented. Always looking to the eternity that we will share with our Lord and Savior. For in doing this, this world’s struggles and toils become bearable in so far as we know there will be end to all this suffering. Christ’s kingdom, the one filled with all the saints we love, has no end.
Now, I am not saying that we ignore the present. There are plenty of worthy things to care about in our lives. Whether that is in your personal life, the life of your neighbor, or the life of our nation and the world, it is necessary that we care about the present. We struggle, persevere, and pray through the trials of this life knowing that it is pleasing to the Lord that we work in our vocations. However, at the same time, we understand that whatever happens in this life is not as final as it seems. Our home is elsewhere. It is in the eternal, heavenly realms of the Father where there will be no pain or suffering and God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. We may not always feel like we have a blessed life. But we will most assuredly have a blessed eternity.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Tommy