Read

Hebrews 3:13-14, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Think

As we look to the future and consider the end times, we must keep the proper perspective by adding the final priority to our “signs” acrostic:

S — Shift our focus to Jesus and His church

I — Inspire us to pray for others

G — Give us hope for the future

N — Navigate the world around us wisely

S — See the temporary versus the eternal

Have you ever dwelt on something small too long and were reminded to look at the big picture? Maybe you had a bad day at school or work, and a friend tried to encourage you by stating that what happened wasn’t life-altering in the grand scheme of things. Although God’s mercies are new each day, and ultimately, as Christ-followers, our eternities are secure, our daily lives do matter. We can’t discount all else because we’ll be in heaven one day.

Hebrews 3:13-14 says each day is important. Therefore, as Christ-followers, we must encourage and support one another because we are tasked with doing everything wholeheartedly as for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and commissioned by Jesus Himself with sharing the good news of the gospel (Matthew 28:19).

Conversely, as Christ-followers, we share the future hope of heaven. We can rest in the fact that one day we won’t have to live in a sin-saturated world plagued by struggle, betrayal, and our own imperfection. We look toward an eternity spent in a place of perfection too awesome to comprehend.

So, as you face each day, remember it’s all about having proper balance — we keep one eye on the temporary (our daily lives) and the other fixed on the eternal (everlasting community with Christ). Do you live each day intending to devote everything in it to God? Are you encouraging others in Christ to do so also? If so, great! Keep your near/far perspective balanced between the temporary and the eternal!

Act

Make it a point to encourage other Christians to navigate the temporary with wisdom while keeping an eye on the eternal.  And praise Jesus continually for securing our future home with Him in heaven.

Pray

Heavenly Father, Thank You for allowing me to have an eternal relationship with You. Give me strength and wisdom as I navigate the here and now each day. And convict my heart to encourage others to do so as well. Amen.