PERSPECTIVE: Life v Eternity

“All that Pleases is but for a Moment.”

“All that Troubles is but for a Moment.”

“That Only is Important which is Eternal.”

These are the inscriptions which span the splendid arches of the triple doorways of Milan Cathedral, with the last mentioned one on the central door.

Life and the brevity of life should always be considered with a perspective on eternity, just as the inscriptions on those ancient doors of Milan Cathedral.

James 4:14  
You do not know what will happen tomorrow.
For what is your life?
It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  

1 Chronicles 29:15 NLT
 We are here for only a moment,
visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us.
Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

 It is all about perspective . . .

To a woman, a pearl is a jewel that can be worn on the finger, neck, or ear. To a chemist, a pearl is a mixture of aragonite and calcite. To a poet, it is a “teardrop of the sea.” To a biologist, it is simply a secretion inside the shells of certain molluscs. To a believer, a pearl is a marvel of God’s creation.

What do you see when you look at life?

The Apostle Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth

Philippians 3:20 NLT
But we are CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Saviour
(see also Eph 2:19)

Because of this we have a different perspective . . .

1 John 2:15-17 NLT
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure,
a craving for everything we see,
and pride in our achievements and possessions.
These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.

Colossians 3:1-3 NLT
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,
set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now;
rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
For the things we see now will soon be gone,
but the things we cannot see will last forever.

All that is in the world, both good and bad, is temporary; it will pass away some day.  It is not worthy of our obsessive attention.  Only when we climb to the heights of heaven in our mind and emotion, and view life through the lens of eternity, we begin to see the purpose of life and truly appreciate those things that matter.

“That only is important which is eternal”

The inscription on the central doorway at Milan Cathedral shows the proper emphasis on our life, according to The Word of God and is divine encouragement to us.

Thy life was given for me,
Thy blood, O Lord was shed,
That I might ransomed be
And quickened from the dead.
Thy life was given for me:
What have I given for Thee?

 O let my life be given,
My years for Thee be spent;
World-fetters all be riven
And joy with suffering blent.
Thou gavest Thyself for me:
I give myself to Thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal

*************************************************************************************
The advertising which may appear below is not placed by the author and
is not to be considered as a part of this post or an expression of my views.
*************************************************************************************