How can I gain an eternal perspective on life?

Answer

Living with eternity in mind is the wisest approach to life. An eternal perspective prevents us from pursuing hollow dreams and material satisfaction. It stops us from squandering our years chasing temporary things that we cannot bring with us after death. We adopt an eternal perspective when we view our lives as a 1000-foot rope with a black tip at one end: the rope represents our existence; the black tip signifies our earthly life. Often, we concentrate all our passion and energy on the black tip while neglecting the rest of the rope.

There are various ways to cultivate and uphold an eternal perspective on life:

1. Ensure that you have experienced spiritual rebirth «Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.», (John 3:3). Eternity awaits everyone, but the only guarantee of spending eternity in heaven with God is through spiritual rebirth. This new birth leads to a revitalized spirit and a fresh desire to please God. By believing in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf, the Holy Spirit enters our spirits and welcomes us into God’s eternal family (Romans 8:15-17). It is at this moment that we begin to embrace an eternal perspective.

2. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you (Acts 4:31;Ephesians 5:18). We receive the Holy Spirit as a gift when we accept salvation «Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.», (Acts 2:38), and He continues to work in us.

Our lives are transformed by submitting ourselves to His work. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are completely yielded to Him, allowing Him to have control over us. Galatians 5:16 teaches that walking by the Spirit prevents us from indulging in the desires of our flesh. Sinful self-indulgence, focused on worldly matters, cannot coexist with an eternal perspective. The antidote to self-centeredness is surrendering to the Holy Spirit: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Store your treasures in heaven. Jesus advised, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). The treasures we accumulate for eternity are the deeds done for Christ on earth. Even offering a cup of cold water to a servant of the Lord merits a reward: “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). An eternal perspective shifts focus from earthly matters to heavenly ones, investing time, energy, and resources in God’s kingdom.

Spend time with God and His Word: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee” (…).

(Psalm 119:11). We would not expect our cars to go a thousand miles on a single tank of gas. Yet, we think a quick prayer or a tweeted Bible verse is sufficient to sustain an eternal perspective for weeks or months. We need continual refilling of truth. Romans 12:1–2 calls it the “renewing” of the mind. Spending time in the presence of God invites Him to reveal areas of our lives that are not surrendered to Him. We acknowledge and confess those and then replace the lies we’ve believed with truths from His Word. This continual “washing” of the Word «that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, », (Ephesians 5:26) keeps our priorities in agreement with God’s and helps maintain an eternal perspective.

5. Stay conscious of the fact that this world is not all there is. It is easy to lose ourselves in daily cares and desires. But those who live with an eternal perspective are equally aware that every day counts down toward our final journey. Second Corinthians 4:17–18 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” We must intentionally redirect our thoughts toward that which is eternal, judging the value of decisions based on their eternal significance. Colossians 3:1–3 says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

God has commanded that we live with an eternal perspective. If holding an eternal perspective came naturally, He would not need to command it. So we choose to continually set our minds on things above. As we develop

By cultivating a habit of focusing our minds on eternal matters, we start to approach things differently compared to individuals with perspectives limited to earthly concerns. When the eternal mindset is ingrained in us, it becomes apparent to others, and eventually, someone might inquire, “How can I also adopt an eternal outlook on life?”