While reading about the looming presidential dictate regarding the legalization of millions of presently “illegal aliens”, a headline link in the margin of the page grabbed me. It read, “It’s ridiculous how beautiful Scarlett Johansson is!”
While I’m not about to argue for or against the theoretical or actual ridiculousness of Ms. Johansson’s appearance, the headline inspired an immediate, reflexive thought, that being: “Well, she may be ‘ridiculously beautiful’ now, whatever that means, but she won’t be for long.”
It is fading. It is dying. And in what seems like the blink of an eye, it’ll be gone. It will be spent.
The same is true of every gift given to every temporal human being on this side of the restored creation to come.
Every talent and blessing blooms and then fades. Ultimately, it disappears entirely, gone “as a vapor”.
None of this is news. The fleeting nature of our temporal bodies and everything that they might have or do or enjoy for their short season in the sun is a reality that we live with, and often struggle against, every day of our adult lives. This is only natural for finite, temporal, mortal beings.
But as Christians we are not bound to the limitations that haunt, taunt, and inspire increasing frustration and despair in the hearts and minds of the lost.
We have eternal life.
Really.
Right now.
And to call this reality “a comfort” is just about as radical an understatement as there can be.
While the world class unbelieving pianist, architect, sculptor or author has but “a vapor” of time in which to cultivate their craft, we who are His have eternity to grasp, cultivate, and master the talents and passions with which He has blessed us…all in a perfect, sinless, Christ-centered context.
Can I get an amen?!
I mean, WOW!
Please think about that…for a while, maybe…
Our adventure will be without end. Our relationships will be without end. Our talents will be expanded and perfected forever.
This is so important to know as we struggle here and now. It is a beautiful truth whose light we ought not only bask in for the sake of bringing joy, but also focus – focus because what we can know of our perfected and secured eternal life in Christ should inspire us to pursue our mission here and now with ever increasing vigor and adoration for the One who has made all of this possible.
Eternal life is not coming to us.
It is here.
Now.
We are living it…one important stage of it, anyway.
What we are called and equipped to do by and for Him now is a part of our eternal purpose and mission to bring Him glory.
While pagan dancers, poets, and businessmen dance, write, and build financial empires for the sake of pleasing themselves and fellow unbelievers based upon the fleeting standards of this dying world, we as Christians are called to pursue art, politics, music, education, economics, and everything else all to the glory of Christ the King right here and now – not just “out there” in some future Heaven that we’ve constructed in our heads.
Our eternal adventure is underway.
Our Gospel-fueled Great Commission to actively apply the Lordship of Christ to every realm of His creation is the mission that He has given us to perform in this place and in this time.
So let our properly awestruck yearning for the perfect restored cosmos and never-ending adventure to come inspire us to take up our Great Commission mandate with all the more vigor and love right here and now, while there is yet time.
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© 2015 Scott Alan Buss – All Rights Reserved.
Soli Deo Gloria!