Giving our Priorities Perspective

Get an eternal perspective and surrender

When I was a counsellor, one important step for clients was to gain a greater perspective.  One strategy for doing this was to think about the concern they were going through in the lens of time.  How important will this be in 6 hours?  How important will it be in 6 days? 6 months? 6 years? 60 years?  The point was that those things that seem significant at the time, may have less sting and weight to them with time.  This is not always the case.  But it certainly has been helpful for some clients who are ruminating over things they recognise they ought not to.

An Eternal Perspective

It makes me think about our life with Jesus.  Something that recalibrates me is thinking about an eternal perspective.  It really helps me to weigh up my current worries and priorities.  How important will this thing be in 600 years?  And beyond?  This is obviously not a one size fits all approach as a strategy.  But I think you know the things that you are holding on to that you may need to loosen your grip on.  I know that I need to physically hold out my hands in front of me in a surrendering posture at times, to get my frantic mind to catch up to the visual.

Eternal Life Has Already Started

What I really love is that we don’t have to wait.  Eternal life has already started, by sheer definition of eternal life.  We are at the beginning of our eternal life.  Sure, it’s not the perfection that our bodies currently ache for.  But it’s the start of knowing God and being in relationship with him through Jesus.  We can begin to change.  We can put off our old ways and start anew.  

I can’t comprehend eternity.  But I certainly want to live for the kingdom.  We might not be in the eternal place yet, but I believe we have the deposit, the Holy Spirit, alive in us.  And even now, Jesus rules.  He has dominion and power.  I’m asking God for the new heaven and new earth to come soon, for Jesus to return.  But while I wait, I want to look forward.