a note in my inbox from the director of our former mission agency.
A few years ago, a friend observed a family who had been called to leave the UK to serve God literally on the other side of`the world. There were still a few months left before they were to leave, but now they knew that where they were living was not permanent and all their choices were made with that in mind. As they considered buying items, the questions they were asking were, "Can we take this with us? If we buy this, is it going to be wasted?"
Our permanent home is actually right now being prepared for us but to what degree are we living and ministering as though this is our permanent dwelling? How many of our decisions are made only with this age in mind rather than the eternal age?
George Müller wrote,
"There was a day when I died to George Müller, his opinions and preferences, taste and will, died to the world, its approval or censure, died to the approval or blame even of brother or friends, and since then I've striven only to show myself approved unto God."
There is a man who knew what it was to live for God and in light of eternity.
Peter Maiden, Operation Mobilisation
“There are many rooms in my Father’s house, I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:2,3
ps. from me… the way to the place where he was going. death. I think there is the seed of a secondary spiritual lesson in there…. this life is a training ground for eternity, and as such, we must die daily to the desires of self in order to live by the will of the Spirit.
photo credit, anissat.
8 comments:
I always think I will come back and comment later...
when I have something intelligent to say
I always forget
so here is the grammy that had kids running around like maniacs all morning... yelling and saying "Bees, Bess!"
there are no bees (o: It has been freezing and we never go out!!!
anyway...I am having my lunch as they are down for a nap (o:
I don't know how you do it
Focus on the spiritual
when you must have as much craziness ( well at least to a degree) as me
I like the idea of living like we might have to pack up and leave soon....
nut as far as George Muller's quote
not even close to being there
maybe I should be, but I am not.
I do strive to not live OF the world...but I strive
like your kids walking with mud stuck to their boots
it's slow and hard work and sometimes I leave
one boot
stuck in the mud (o:
Such a hard thing to do... to live as if this is not our permanent home, to live in light of eternity... there are seasons when I do better than others. I do feel that as I get older the pull of this world is less and less on me and the pull of eternity is greater, I find that I do not let the trivial things of this world bother me as much when I look at them in the light of eternity... yet, I too have a very long way to go to truly live for eternity and not for this world...
Blessings...
It is a difficult thing, I think, to get past the here and now - especially when we are young. It is so much more "real" to us than eternity - and we really don't know what it will be like.
It takes a real surrender of self to be able to live that way. More and more I long to have an eternal perspective. This was so good.
@ Grammy;
This comment was so endearing. The striving.... oh, I hear you. It's not a natural state of being, at least not yet, but then I think back to how hard it was for me when I started running, how I flailed and gasped and it took all my concentration and will power. And now sometimes I just find myself almost floating along and barely even realizing what I am doing?! I hope that dying to self will be like that too. The more I concentrate and discipline myself, the more it will become second nature.
I have to tell you, the mud stuck to the boots, and the boot stuck in the mud comment brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. You are so precious. Thank you so much for leaving a piece of your heart here and blessing mine.
((( Grammy)))
"training ground for eternity..." Amen!!! And with any training, discipline is required. I love your comment to Grammy on that topic. Focusing on the eternal is completely not natural to us because the eternal is not of the natural world. Focusing on the supernatural can only come with the supernatural enabling of our heavenly Father. I love your thoughtful posts. These help me in the training ground of the eternal.
very good reminder :-) I keep wanting to buy a couch. Every time I think about getting one, I think "what if we're in Alaska next year?!" Then I don't buy it. I can totally relate!!
Could I let go of all my possession?
Would I?
Does He want me to?
Have I bought in to a soft, vanilla-flavored, cultural definition of Christianity?
Will I take up my cross and follow Him wherever?
Have I shaken off the world's allure and comfort?
You're so making me think tonight.
Not sure if I have the right answers.
But I am sure that He won't give up on me.
Sweet dreams.
This post merits a hearfelt "Amen!" - and may it be so that I should live with every thought captive to the truth of eternity. All these previous comments are helping me search my soul.
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