Eternal perspective
How many times have we asked God to show us “His will.” I
know that prayer somehow made its way into every conversation God and I ever
had…. “God, show me your will for my life.” Then I would look around in search
of the “will” that I expected Him to show me. I’ve learned something
important…when you ask God for something, be open to Him revealing something
completely different as your answer.
Over the past few days, I’ve had a lot of time to think and pray about
this. How did my prayer start… “God, reveal your will for my life”… haha oh,
and did he ever. At that exact moment, it was like I heard a whisper say, “are
you sure you want to know?” My reaction being, “of course I do!” In waiting for
the epiphany of a lifetime, I found this while reading my Bible:
“With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his
will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into
effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in
heaven and on earth under Christ.” Ephesians 1:8b-10
Ok. God. That is nice. But you didn’t show me what my future jobs is
going to be. You didn’t reveal my first encounter with my future husband. Where
is the part where I am the multi-tasker of the year that finally has everything
together…oh, right…not there. God, why can’t I see what is going to happen
next? That whisper came back to say two words… “Eternal perspective.” At that
moment, it all made sense. God’s “will” for each of our lives had already been
revealed. It wasn’t hidden away in the depths of the earth or lying in the
“deeper meaning” of something recorded in the Bible. Paul straight up reveals
God’s will for us, but somehow we over look it in hopes that we may find what
comes next in this temporary world we call home.
“To bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”
This is where we are headed. This
is our ultimate destination. The path that God has chosen for each of us to
walk may vary, but His will for each of our lives is the SAME… For every tribe
and tongue to be in unity with one another in both the heavenly and earthly
realms under our Lord, Jesus Christ. That. Is. All. I think about how many
times I have read this and spent hours on my knees in hope that God would
reveal something deeper. Oh, how it is in my earthly being to try to complicate
something that is already so beautiful. His will for us is to be joined with
Him for eternity, to walk the streets of heaven complete and whole, to dance
and sing holding the scarred hands of the Savior, and to praise the Holy name
of the Living God. That is God’s will.
I’m not disregarding the wants and needs of today, but in light of the
things we think we may need, our focus should stay on the provider of all
things. When thinking about what is to come and the Heaven that awaits us, my
petty wants seem that much more petty. After this realization, my prayer is
that I will see through the lenses of God with the eternal perspective. How can
I channel my desires into a reflection of God’s will for our lives? This is
difficult, especially since we live in a world where the only thing that
matters is the “here and now.” The transition between “here and now” and
eternity begins with the realization that our lives are a part of something
bigger than the world we can see. God’s will for my life has been realized, now
the challenge I face is the daily battle of dying to the temporary and
patiently and intentionally living for eternity.
