Eternity.

It's a long time. A seriously long time. I mean, just try and think about it for a second.

e...t...e...r...n...i...t...y....

It goes on forever. It never ends. It makes today seem like a millisecond. It makes my life seem so short-lived. Really, it's something I'll never fully grasp.

However...

Despite its ambiguity, I do know one thing, and one thing for sure.

I will be spending it in heaven with Almighty God.

Woa.

When all is said and done, my eternity, my forever, my always, will be with the God of the Universe. With the Maker of heaven and earth. With the one true God who's hesed is indescribable. unattainable. incomprehensible.

WOA.

In a time where it hurts me to watch the news and see the utter wickedness of the world today, I take comfort in knowing that one day, and one day soon, I will be in a perfect and peaceful place--where love and grace abound, worries and strife are no more, and reconciliation with God and one another are forever restored. This is my future. This is my everlasting. This is my hope.

And I can't wait.

Or can I?

If I'm honest with myself here, most days I can. While in theory I "can't wait", I can't help but notice that my actions and thoughts prove otherwise.

You see, while I know those things await me, I live my life as if they don't. I live for the now, the comfortable, and the easy. I make silly plans for the day, the week, the month, the year. I go about this life as if this was it. To put it bluntly, I love my life on earth way too much to live with a deep eternal perspective.

Shame on me.

Maybe you think I'm being too hard on myself. I don't think I am. For if I truly claim to be a follower of Jesus, then my life on this earth is not about me. My life here is not about personal satisfaction. My life here is not about being comfortable, being safe, or being easy. It's not about how much money I can make, how big of a house I can buy, or even how well liked I am. No, my life, my whole life, is to be about eternity. It's less of me, more of Him.

It makes sense. Why invest in things that don't last? It seems silly. And a waste of time. But we all do it.

Example #1: Steven just spent the last two years building a bridge. He worked hard. Really hard. We're talking long hours, driving in way too much traffic, dealing with difficult people, and having to put up with an ungrateful wife who just wanted him home on time for dinner. Two years of his life went into this bridge. But what if there's an earthquake tomorrow and the bridge collapses? All the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears...for nothing.

You see, bridges are not eternal.

Example #2: I spent two years teaching high school. At first I wanted to teach in the inner city--you know, really help the disadvantaged and forgotten kids. I wanted to help them get out of their messy situations. I wanted to show them that there was a better life out there to be had. It seemed like a good cause--but then I had this thought. If I just teach them a way to have a better life here on earth, but don't teach them of the eternal life they can have through a relationship with Jesus, what good am I really doing for them?

You see, even life, a good life, is not eternal.

Example #3: We put a lot of money into our 401K. It's the smart thing to do. When we're old and gray, we'll be taken care of. We won't be a burden on our kids. We won't be a burden on society. But, the thing is, that money could be gone. Last year, all you heard about was how peoples' life savings were cut in half over night as the stock market plummeted. Even our savings, what could have been spent to help feed and clothe a child, was not what it used to be.

You see, money, security, is not eternal.

Example #4: I shop a lot. I try and pretend that this is okay because I shop at "cheap" stores. In reality, I have more clothes than I know what to do with. (Just take a look at my brimming closet...it's quite ridiculous) I also spend a good deal of time complaining, fixing and examining my body. I'm either "too this" or "not enough that"...It's always a new diet, new work out plan, a new goal weight. But why do I spend so much time in vain? Why do hours of my life get poured into what I'm wearing and how well I'm wearing it?

Thank God, our bodies are not eternal.

Example #5: Facebook, TV, sports. How they occupy our time, consume our thoughts, and waste our energy. Sure they entertain, for the moment. Sure they're fun, for awhile. But they quickly fade from one thing to the next--new technology to newer technology, tv series to tv series (oh LOST, how I will miss you..), football season to baseball season. Most of these things seem so important at the time, but quickly become distant and vague memories.

You see, most of the things I do are not eternal.

So what is?

The way I see it, there are only three things that will last forever.
-God.
-The Word of God.
-And the souls of men.

These are the things of eternity. These are the things I need to be pursuing.
These three things deserve my life.
-Knowing God intimately.
-Growing deeply through His Word.
-And inviting others to do that same.

Period.

All other things are done in vain. Yes, the above examples are sometimes necessary parts of life. Obviously, I'm not saying "Let's quit our jobs, never watch sports and forget all about working out!" Those things in and of themselves are not bad. What is wrong is when we give our lives to such things. What is sad is when those are the only things we care about, the only things we live for, the only things we are.

People think it's a tragedy when young ones go early. But isn't it just as tragic to die of old age, but to have given your life to nothing of value?

Could we live for something more? Could I live for something more significant--something that reaches beyond myself? If I can't take most of what the world offers with me when I die, why waste so much of my little time.

Let us ask ourselves...
What would it look like to really live a life for God and for bringing others to His Throne? What priorities, hobbies, plans would need to change in order to live a life of eternal significance?

What if I stopped living for today, let go of my need for immediate gratification, and started seriously living for eternity?

Oh, how the world would change. And oh, how e.t.e.r.n.i.t.y would then change too.