Live with the end in mind. As I mull over the meaning of the phrase and how it might impact my life, several questions demand consideration.
The first–Why live with the end in mind? There is enough motherhood mayhem and workplace drama to consume just one day of living. How can I cast my vision beyond a teenage son’s struggle with depression or the uncertainty of managing a better-than-fiction public relations issue? One word of scripture presses through these everyday, human concerns. Faith.
In the midst of my average-woman-regular-living, I can place my hand just above my eyes–diminishing some of today’s distractions. And, if I look closely enough, I can see it dimly…far off in the distance. The promises of tomorrow exchanged for all of my todays.
Why live with the end in mind? Because the beauty of each day is only a foretaste of something better. Because the struggles of being human will one day be discounted as nothing more than momentary. Because the way I live now points toward the One in whom I trust.
Verses for Reflection
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Heb. 11:1-2 MSG)
Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. (Heb. 11:13-16 MSG)