Post #6 -- Living With an Eternal Perspective

Several years ago Marilyn and I, as ardent Penn State football fans, were watching an evening PSU football game that was not going well for Penn State.  Normally these are exciting games, but this one was pathetic.  The first quarter was terrible and the second even worse.  In disgust, I set the DVR to record the game and, grumbling, went off to bed.  The following morning, much to my great surprise, I was greeted by a text announcing that Penn State had won the game.  I could not believe it!  Later in the day, I could not resist the urge to see how they pulled off this amazing feat and sat down to watch the rest of the game.  To my horror, the third quarter was not any better than what I remembered the second to be.  I was soon sitting on the edge of my seat, perspiring profusely, frantically pulling at my hair and hysterically biting my figure nails — just knowing we’re going to lose this game.  And then I suddenly remembered — we had already won!  I distinctly remember calmly sitting back, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoying the rest of the game — even in the midst of a terrible third quarter.  I knew how the game would end, and with that perspective my experience with the game completely changed!

Webster says a “perspective” is a “point of view”.  In my case, knowing that the game was already won and that it was a good win, my point of view changed.  I had a new perspective!

Our last post unpacked the key verse 2 Cor 4:16-17 — “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we’re being renewed day by day.  For these light and momentary problems are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” The following verse (verse 18) provides a delightful perspective for us as we ponder the implications of “wasting away” and of being “renewed day by day” — “So we don’t look at the trouble we see now; rather, we fix our gaze on the things that can not be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT)  This is an eternal point of view — an eternal perspective!

What is an Eternal Perspective?

For me, an eternal perspective is to see the pain, pleasures, and purpose of our lives as part of God’s eternal story for us as followers of Jesus  It’s to truly live and make decisions with the long-term of eternity in mind.  For example, when deciding to purchase a new car, if my eternal perspective is clear, I’m thinking not only about what the extra safety bells and whistles this car might bring me, but also how I will be able to use this car to influence others with the gospel.  Or when seeking to help a friend I’m discipling, I’m thinking not only about how this training will help him achieve the fulfilled life he desires now, but also how it will influence him for eternity.  It’s all about the future.

The Apostle Paul expresses his eternal perspective this way: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8) and “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21, NIV).  

Any way you cut it, it’s about living the present in light of the future.

Why is having an Eternal Perspective important?

Back to my story about the poorly progressing Penn State football game.  I was amazed at the time, and still am, how that having a larger perspective (that we had already won the game) empowered me to really enjoy even the disastrous third quarter.  It was somewhere in the middle of the third quarter that I suddenly remembered the game was already won.  The pathetic game during the rest of the third quarter was basically no different from that before the awareness.  Yet all of a sudden I had a new ability to enjoy the game — good or bad.

Can we live this way in life?  I think we can — and in the process enjoy significant benefits that only God can bring.  Let’s look at some of them.

Knowing the battle has already been won produces a deep and settled peace in our hearts that “all is well”.  Jesus tells us in John 16:33, NIV — “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)

Living with an eternal perspective gives us joy today in the midst of chaos that is  far from joyful!  Our souls feast on a joyful expectation as we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth!

Further living with an eternal perspective provides us with a hope which becomes the safe and secure anchor for our soul.  “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.  It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 6:19, NLT)  We can relax knowing our eternal home is secure and that the best is yet to come!

The story is told of a young pastor who received a rather urgent call to come to  the local nursing home to visit a previous member of his parish.  The elderly lady quickly announced that she was about to “go home” to heaven and wanted him to conduct her memorial service — and handed him a well-organized plan for her memorial service.  She identified the passages she wanted discussed, who would sing and what would be sung, who would pray, and who would give the eulogies.  She indicated that she would wear her pretty pink dress, the one with roses, and announced that she wanted her Bible and a fork placed with her in the casket.  The pastor, intrigued by the fork request, inquired about why she wanted the fork.  “Oh Pastor”, she exclaimed, “I so loved our church dinners.  But what I really looked forward to was dessert, especially the pies.  And when they said,“Keep your fork”, I knew the best was yet to come.” When the people see me and ask about the fork, I want you to tell them how they too can know that the “best is yet to come.”

How can I gain this Eternal Perspective?

Charles Swindoll has been known to say — “Choose to view life through God's eyes. This will not be easy because it doesn't come naturally to us. We cannot do this on our own. We have to allow God to elevate our vantage point. Start by reading His Word, the Bible.  Pray and ask God to transform your thinking. Let Him do what you cannot. Ask Him to give you an eternal, divine perspective.”  I suspect there are many ways to gain this eternal, divine perspective.  Here are a few of them.

Time with Jesus and His Word…

I believe the best way to live with this eternal perspective is to spend lots of time with Jesus and His Word.  We’ve heard this point preached time after time — I feel like I’m stating the obvious here.  But this is critical. Unless we’re spending lots of regular, intimate time with the Lord, praying to Him, and searching His Word it is unlikely that our point of view will be a godly one.

At the same time, we understand and I think God does also, that we all go through certain times or seasons in our lives that are busier than usual — or we have demanding commitments — such that we simply cannot spend as much time with the Lord and His Word as we would like.  The key here, I believe, is to do all we can to preclude the pattern of spending limited time with the Lord to become our long-term “normal” pattern.  In the meantime, be creative — like listening to the Word on tape or on a Bible app on your phone while driving to work, or getting in the habit of reviewing old verses while waiting in your car for the traffic light to turn from red to green, or using lunch times to get away with the Lord for a few minutes. 

Scripture memory …

This is a spiritual discipline that seems by many to have been long forgotten. While memorizing is getting noticeably more difficult for me in my senior years, I am deeply grateful for years of memorizing Scripture.  In a moment of need, the needed verse comes to the frontal lobe.  I might not recall the reference, but the promise is there and it brings with it a godly perspective and deep settled peace.

Music …

I find music to be a big help in maintaining a proper focus on heaven.  There is something distinctly uplifting about music that often touches my soul in ways that even God’s written Word might not on some days.

Hanging out with like-minded friends …

Then also having like-minded friends around me encouraging me to focus on God is a tremendous help in maintaining that eternal perspective.

Self-examination …

I believe in regular self-examination.  The following questions become a helpful thought grid for me:

• Does this activity, thought, or issue (I’m about to pursue) prepare me in any way for heaven?
• Does the fact that I know how this journey ends make any difference in how I’m feeling about this activity, thought, or issue?
• I’m going to meet Jesus some time soon.  Would continuing to focus on this activity, thing, or issue embarrass me in any way.?
• Am I focused on what I “see” (life now) or what is “unseen” (eternal life in heaven)?

Commitment and Intentionality …

Randy Alcorn, author of numerous books on heaven, writing two weeks after his own wife’s death, shares the account of Florence Chadwick’s swimming experience.

“In 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped off Catalina Island, California, into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, determined to swim to the mainland. An experienced swimmer, she had already made history as the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. The weather that day was foggy and chilly; Florence could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam steadily for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water, her mother, in a boat alongside her, told her that she was close and that she could make it. But Florence, physically and emotionally exhausted, stopped swimming and was pulled into the boat. It wasn’t until she was on board that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away. At a news conference the next day, she said, “All I could see was the fog. … I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Maintaining an eternal perspective is to always keep heaven in view!

Now let me quickly say “Let’s not be so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good.”  As we spend time focusing on God and His ultimate plan for us, let’s not forget that His present plan for us is to meaningfully engage in the world without Christ around us. Unless specifically called by God, our calling normally does not include isolating ourselves in some sterile environment such that we lose our normal contact with the “world”. 

We are the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13).  Jesus modeled this as He “… became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory …" (John 1:14 Msg)  And so we too must remain relevant to those around us whom God has given to us to influence.

But as we do this we will still keep our priorities and passions fixed on what is yet to come.

How does maintaining an eternal perspective help me really thrive? 

Very simply, knowing the best is yet to come keeps me going even in the worst of times. I think I’m growing in this eternal perspective.  If you had asked me those above four questions under “Self-examination” 30 years ago I would have thought you had lost your marbles. They simply would not have made sense!  But with age and some wisdom I’m beginning to see things quite differently.  

We’ll spend more time in later posts exploring practical ways we grow in this eternal perspective and how this helps us to really thrive.