For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18b (NLT)
This morning I spent a few moments reflecting on the two years my family and I lived in London. I remember we were all so excited to be able to experience a different life outside of our own country, with so much to see and experience! Going in, we knew that we would only be there for a short while, a couple of years at most – just enough time to get a fair taste of the true British culture. It ended up being a wonderful experience for us! But as fun and as exciting as it was, near the end of our time there we were ready to come back home to our old and familiar life. Although I had made many friends in London and got to know a few of my neighbors there where we lived, that place certainly wasn’t my home.
Isn’t it interesting how we become so easily attached to things? Things like familiarity, food, culture, and people? I couldn’t wait to get back to see my old friends. I so looked forward to not having to pay for parking at the local grocery and walking a mile back to the car after shopping. And the bigger parking spaces… oh my gosh! No more having to squeeze into my automobile to avoid dinging the parked cars on either side! Or being able to go somewhere without having to enter the address into the GPS… and no more having to rely on the international news to see what was going on back home. And yet, within a few months of being back home, that old familiar life didn’t seem as satisfying as I thought it would several months earlier while still living in the UK.
In his book entitled Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis writes, “If I find in myself a desire which nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
I think the Apostle Paul very much felt this way. After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, his focus shifted from his present life to the glorious next life that awaited him. Paul surrendered everything to Christ. He understood well the futility of what King Solomon talked about in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11: “Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless – like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”
Paul’s perspective was rooted in a deep understanding that this world, while beautiful and full of experiences, is temporary. Like our time spent in a foreign place, it is only a stopover before we reach our true home. Our attachment to what we see, hear, and experience here is natural, but it is important to remember that it won’t last. We are so often caught up in the visible, tangible moments of life that we forget our true purpose: preparing for eternity.
Paul’s heart was continually focused on what cannot be seen – the eternal, unshakable kingdom of God. He recognized that investing all of our energy and hope solely into temporary pleasures and pursuits leaves us empty and longing for more. Our lives here may be filled with great memories and meaningful moments, yet they are but a shadow of what is to come. By shifting our gaze to what is eternal – God’s love, His promises, and the hope of life with Him forever – we gain a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment.
May we too learn to keep our eyes fixed on what will last forever, finding comfort and purpose in knowing that what we seek beyond this world is more real and lasting than anything we can touch or see today.
Former Blackout Artist 