Temporal vs. Eternal
Last month I was fortunate to be able to take a
vacation with my family for a week and spend some time visiting the town
where I spent my childhood. It was an enjoyable and memorable time, but
just a touch depressing too.
When I was a kid, I remember a couple of similar trips with my dad. We
visited the home he lived in during his early years in Uvalde, Texas and
his later years in Louisville, Kentucky. We also visited the home where
his grandmother, my great-grandmother, used to live in Mississippi.
He never seemed to leave these places happy. The houses had worn down,
inhabited by strangers, and nothing compared to the memories of those
enjoyable, long-ago times of youth and childhood. I am beginning to
understand why this can be a painful experience.
While in Indianapolis, I wanted to drive by an old baseball field where
I used to play only to find it had been turned into a parking lot! The
middle school where I attended has been torn down in favor of a more
modern building. In some cases, all that is left are the memories of a
childhood that came and went too quickly.
Yet, this is no major discovery. God’s Word shows us that the physical
aspects of this life are temporal. There is no use seeking to accumulate
money because it will do us no good when we die (1 Timothy 6:7). It is
futile to take pride in physical places or things because they can be
ruined, stolen or bulldozed into a parking lot (Matt. 6:19)! Even our
closest friends and family will leave this earth in their appointment
with death (Hebrews 9:27).
So, instead of focusing on the temporal we must learn to focus on the
eternal things. Laying up treasures in heaven is a good start (Matthew
6:20,21). God’s Word offers eternal promises that will not pass away
(Matt. 24:35). Paul taught that faith, hope and love will keep us living
when all else seems to be fading away (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Think about it.
August 2005