Luke 12:13-48
Luke 12:13-48
Imagine you are going to stay at a hotel for one night. You arrive and decide you’re going to unpack all of the stuff you brought into the dresser and closet. You inspect the room, and it’s definitely adequate for a one night stay. However, the wall color is not your favorite color, so you go ahead and repaint it to fit your preference.
You also see the bathroom isn’t the best it could be. You decide that it would be much nicer if the bathroom and shower stall were retiled and the different fixtures were newer, so you just go ahead and remodel the bathroom. The furniture is next to be changed. Who would even pick an uncomfortable chair like that? It has to go!
The room is almost exactly the way you want it to be, but now your stay has ended. Instead of acknowledging that this was very temporary and making the most of the time you had by preparing for your intended destination, you made improvements to a space that you can’t take with you, and now it’s time to go home.
The person in the scenario I’ve described is using the same logic as the rich man building bigger barns, the people Jesus is addressing who are worrying and anxious, and the servants who aren’t obedient to their master’s instructions. What Christ is calling them and us to in this passage is to have an eternal perspective.
This may seem like an extreme story to you, but think about this: one night compared to your whole life is a way bigger percentage than your whole life compared to eternity.
This short life isn’t about making oneself as safe as possible, or being as comfortable as possible, or getting away with as much as you can. This life is about glorifying God. A poem by CT Studd says, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
How are you laying up treasure in Heaven? How can you keep an eternal perspective this week?
By: Kaitlin White
Imagine you are going to stay at a hotel for one night. You arrive and decide you’re going to unpack all of the stuff you brought into the dresser and closet. You inspect the room, and it’s definitely adequate for a one night stay. However, the wall color is not your favorite color, so you go ahead and repaint it to fit your preference.
You also see the bathroom isn’t the best it could be. You decide that it would be much nicer if the bathroom and shower stall were retiled and the different fixtures were newer, so you just go ahead and remodel the bathroom. The furniture is next to be changed. Who would even pick an uncomfortable chair like that? It has to go!
The room is almost exactly the way you want it to be, but now your stay has ended. Instead of acknowledging that this was very temporary and making the most of the time you had by preparing for your intended destination, you made improvements to a space that you can’t take with you, and now it’s time to go home.
The person in the scenario I’ve described is using the same logic as the rich man building bigger barns, the people Jesus is addressing who are worrying and anxious, and the servants who aren’t obedient to their master’s instructions. What Christ is calling them and us to in this passage is to have an eternal perspective.
This may seem like an extreme story to you, but think about this: one night compared to your whole life is a way bigger percentage than your whole life compared to eternity.
This short life isn’t about making oneself as safe as possible, or being as comfortable as possible, or getting away with as much as you can. This life is about glorifying God. A poem by CT Studd says, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
How are you laying up treasure in Heaven? How can you keep an eternal perspective this week?
By: Kaitlin White
3 Comments
What a perfect analogy, Kaitlin! Puts life into perspective. Unfortunately too often I don't have an eternity perspective and trials are necessary to make me refocus.
I also enjoyed that very illustrative analogy. Great commentary, Kaitlin!
Well said, Kaitlin!!! Thank you!!!