It all happened so fast. One moment, the district computer tech was fixing an annoying problem that wouldn’t let my laptop access the web. The next, thousands of hours of work on my school device were gone. Things I had collected. Things I had created, tweaked, and perfected. All gone. It was my own fault for not backing up my documents into the district’s server before the malfunction or asking the twenty-something techie, “Are you sure you got everything?” before he hit the button to wipe the machine. As I drove away, devastated, from the encounter, it occurred to me that there was a very painful spiritual lesson to be learned here. The things of this world will one day pass away. Only what we have “uploaded to the cloud” of Heaven will remain. In the matter of the temporal versus the eternal, where are we focusing our efforts?
Our Lives Will Be Gone in a Moment We May Not Expect
We are not promised tomorrow.
- 1 Peter 1:24-25: “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
- James 4:14: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanished away.”
- Psalm 39:5: “Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.”
- Psalm 103:15-16: “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.”
- Psalm 90:10: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
- Job 14:1-2: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.”
Material Possessions Are Temporary
We can’t take things with us when we pass.
- Proverbs 23:5: “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
- Ecclesiastes 2:11: “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”
- Matthew 6:19-20: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
- 1 Timothy 6:7 “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
- Psalm 39:6 “Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.”
- Ecclesiastes 2:18 “Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.”
The Earth Itself Shall Pass Away
It may feel like things will always be the way they are today, but they won’t.
- Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
- 1 John 2:17: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:31: “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
- Revelation 21:1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
Even Spiritual Gifts Have but a Short Season
These are but tools we will one day no longer need.
1 Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
But Some Things Now ARE Eternal
- 2 Corinthians 4:18: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
Faith, Hope, and Love
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
The word “abideth” is “menó” in Greek. It’s Strong’s Concordance number 3306 and means to remain or continue. These are the things that will last forever; they’re not going away.
As I was considering my laptop situation and the strong spiritual impression I received after it, I happened upon a YouVersion Bible Study that really put things into perspective. It’s called Control Controllables: Playing Fearless.The whole study is great. It’s a sports analogy about focusing on the things we can control and not worrying about the things we can’t. But on Day 3, there is a terrific section on faith, hope and love.
The study says:
“If you’re looking for things to invest in that last, eternally, these three do.”
- Faith defines us: it’s who we are as Christians.
- Hope sustains us: even in the toughest times, we know who God is and where we are going.
- Love motivates us: it puts faith and hope into action as we seek to love as God loves us
The Temporal versus the Eternal: Invest Your Time, Talents, and Resources in the Things That Last
Invest in your faith; it’s who you are. Make sure that your life reflects good stewardship through giving in tithes and offerings, serving in ministry, and discipling others. Spend time daily in prayer, Bible study, and reflection for personal growth and a deeper relationship with Christ.
Invest in hope; it’s what sustains you. Personally saturate yourself with Scriptures and pray them back to God. Journal the times when God has been faithful and read them back to yourself when times get tough. Also, connect with other believers to build hope in everyone. In your church, small group, or even family or friend group, study the Bible, share burdens, and encourage each another.
Invest in love; it should be your motivation. Love God better by learning more about the Him through Bible study and other devotionals and reading plans. (Check out the free Names of God Coloring Sheets!) Love people by daily forgiving others and offering them kindness, patience, and understanding. Look for tangible ways to help those around you such as praying for them and reaching out to offer encouragement and assistance.
OUR Hard Drives Will One Day Be Wiped
I never expected to lose all my documents. Backing up my hard drive was at the bottom of my to-do list, and it never got done. But when everything was gone in a moment, I thought of the day when my life will be wiped just as surely. I will stand before Jesus and answer for the time, resources, and gifts He gave me. Did I spend thousands upon thousands of hours on a hard drive worth of things that will be gone in a moment? Or did I put my effort into “the cloud,” focusing on growing my relationship with Christ to increase my faith and hope and using my life to love Him and others? Every day we have choices about whether to focus on the temporal or the eternal. We must choose wisely.
If you like to look closely at scripture through analogies, try Bible Verses About Those Who Know God (and Those Who Don’t) or Hold on in Hope: Bible Verses About Hope. Please sign up to receive my blog in your email inbox. You can find that at the upper right of your screen (or at the bottom on a phone). Also, check out my YouTube Channel, where I read the blogs out loud and have a playlist of hymns. For Scripture memorization through music, visit The KJV Rocks, featuring word-for-word KJV Scripture songs. Sing them until you know them by heart!
