Eternal Perspective!

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.