(By Erica Johnson) – Have you ever stopped to think about the impermanence of things? The food in my house disappears pretty fast, and when there are cookies around they go even faster. The snow on the ground will eventually melt (even though it doesn’t seem like it), and school will finish for the summer in a few months. Even the hair on our heads isn’t permanent, as any balding male can tell you.
I’ve never actually seen a house burn down before, but I can imagine it to be frightening. Think about it: all of a family’s earthly possessions consumed, gone, in a matter of minutes. Even something we think is strong and permanent can be gone in a short amount of time. Our houses, jobs, possessions, even our lives can be taken from us quite easily.
A couple of weeks ago my friend Chris Chung’s life on earth ended. Chris was a member of the Mayfair corps and had been struggling with cancer for two years before he was promoted to glory at age 18. None of us knew Chris was going to die when he did. Then again, none of us know when we are going to die, either. If I didn’t have hope in Christ all of this would sound depressing and hopeless, but the beauty in those facts is that even though we live with uncertainty and impermanence all around us, we can live certain of the fact that we serve a permanent God.
I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Chris is in heaven right now. The Bible says we get new bodies there, and that there will be no more crying, sadness, or pain. Also, heaven is forever! The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever in Hebrews 13:8. The world around us is someday going to be gone, and the only thing in our lives that will really last is our relationship with Christ. If you believe the Bible to be truth, then you believe in this fact.
The way we can be sure of God’s permanence and faithfulness is by looking in his Word. The same God who split open the sea of reeds so his people could cross is the God who is here with us today. The same God who raised Jesus, his Son, from the grave is answering us when we pray and comforting us when we are hurting so that we can comfort others. The same God who made the mountains and the stars is the God who will be with us when everything else is gone.
If you know that Christ is the only lasting thing in this world, are you living like it? Does the way you spend your time show that you believe in a sovereign God who reigns forever? How much value do you place on impermanent things (school, computer, video games, shopping) over God?
Our lives on earth are short compared to eternity – let’s not waste them! Let’s live heaven-minded lives, looking forward to the day where we can rejoice with our brothers and sisters in Christ forever.