Shaping Eternal Things

By Nisi King

Praise N Worship by Lisa Anne Tindal

Amidst the trials of life, it's all too easy to be consumed by the immediate and the visible. When I’m in the midst of a painful situation, my initial focus is quickly finding some semblance of relief and comfort. It’s in these moments of testing that I find it most challenging to shift my focus from the 'painful present' to embracing the joy that lies in my secured eternity with Christ.

While this decision may not come naturally, Jesus calls us to live with an eternal mindset that transcends our earthly desire for comfort. This intentional shift in perspective doesn't promise an alleviation of our current troubles, but it does allow us to “count it all joy” and find endurance, character, and hope among our sufferings (James 1:2, Romans 5:3-5).

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

The apostle Paul is an excellent example of a believer who always chose to rest in his heavenly inheritance, no matter the situation. In 2 Corinthians 2:17-18 Paul writes, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

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