It’s easy to get caught up in all the stuff that we have – not just physical possessions, but the priorities and the to-do’s that pile up in front of us. It’s tempting to get wrapped up in what crosses our paths – the problem that needs solving, the situation that needs to be dealt with, the broken appliance that needs to be fixed. We’re surrounded by things that call out for our attention – begging us to focus on them and not on other things.
And while we can’t ignore the situations and circumstances that God allows in our lives, we can respond to them in a way that is different from how the world does. In I Corinthians 7 as Paul writes about the benefits of serving God as a unmarried person, he offers a prescription for everyone who is living this life with the next life in view. Instead of being overwhelmed by the cares of this world, we should live as if we had none. This isn’t to say that His children approach life with blinders on, unwilling or unable to see the bad things that happen, but we consider them in their proper perspective and remember that because of Christ’s work on the cross and His resurrection three days later, the final ending of our story is secured. If you know that everything works out in the end, and in fact, more than works out but exceeds our expectations and understanding, then you can view the bumps along the way as insignificant in light of eternity. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have eternal significance, but it does mean that their significance is found in how those situations are used to bring glory to God. And if you’re living life as if there are no earthly concerns, and only heavenly ones, you are more apt to respond in a way that reflects that.
Getting wrapped up in the here and now is tempting – especially when you live in a culture that teaches you to live for today and to “just do it.” However, for the Christ follower we need to live as if the cares of this world don’t matter – because eventually, they won’t.
