With the new year, our thoughts naturally turn to the future.
For some of us there is a lot of excitement and anticipation of
what 2007 will bring; for others there is fear about what the
future may hold.
With the new year, our thoughts naturally turn to the future. For some of us there is a lot of excitement and anticipation of what 2007 will bring; for others there is fear about what the future may hold. We wonder, “Will the relationship with my mate improve? Will the coming year find us drawing closer together or pulling further away?” “What about my job? Will it still be here by year’s end?” And we worry about money matters … “Will my financial situation turn around? Will this be the year I finally reduce my indebtedness a little?” The questions go on and on.
I guess it’s just human nature to speculate about the future. I still smile when I think back to how movies in the ’50s depicted life in the 21st century. For example, they thought we would all dress alike, everyone running around in silver jump suits and white go-go boots. And what about the prediction in the early ’60s that technology would make life so simple we would have nothing to do with our time? That prediction was sure a bust! If there is one thing that is becoming painfully clear to us, it is the fact that the pace of life is accelerating at an amazing rate. And not just in the area of technology … we are seeing quantum changes in the basic ways we look at relationships, families, and society as a whole.
Is there a way we can prepare for these changes? Yes, and it is centered in developing a broader perspective on life. Our perception of movies is a good example: we’ve all seen films on the big screen that awe us with their eye-catching special effects and lush cinematography, but how different is our perception of the same movie when we later see it on our smaller TV screen at home? Something is definitely lost in the transition.
The same is true in life. When we only focus on the small things that constantly demand our attention, we lose sight of the big picture. The key to avoiding this shortsightedness is to look at life from a broader perspective, to think in terms of eternity rather than what is often called the “tyranny of the urgent.”
When we see everything as “do or die'” we tend to blow problems out of proportion. And, as Dean Smith, former basketball coach at UNC, once noted, “If you make every game a matter of life and death, you’ll be dead a lot.”
In order to keep things in perspective, ask yourself this question next time you are feeling stressed: “is what I am worrying about right now going to make a difference to me in a thousand years?” For the vast majority of things we get stressed about, the answer will be “no.” In a thousand years, will the fact that a waiter messed up your order matter? Or that you missed that sale? Or that you weren’t able to afford the kind of car you wanted? When you consider these issues from an eternal perspective, the answer is usually “no.”
On the other hand, if you share Christ’s love with someone, will that matter in a thousand years? Or if you take time to encourage someone or help someone in need? Jesus once said that even a small cup of cold water given in his name will be blessed by God. So while there are many things we do that have no eternal significance, there are times when we have opportunities to make contributions that will last forever. Our efforts may not bring about world peace, but they can certainly bring peace of mind to someone who stands before us in need.
In 2 Peter 3:8 we are told that “one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” These words remind us that there is a Big Picture to all of this. The few years we on earth are less than a nanosecond in the overall scheme of things. Therefore we must constantly remind ourselves that neither we nor our desires are the center of the universe, and that there is far more to life than amassing big piles of wealth. After all, one day all our wealth is going to be melted into a puddle … then what will we have?
Let us keep our focus on Christ in 2007 and store up treasures in heaven by loving and serving those around us.
Henry Harris is lead pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Road in Hollister. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church Web site at www.rollinghillsfamily.com, e-mail
pa*********@ro****************.com
or call (831) 636-5353.
