The future ain’t what it used to be …

In the movie “Back To The Future, Part 2” the character “Doc” sent the DeLorean (a flying car that served as a time machine) 25 years into the future … July 5, 2010. That’s right, that’s today!

Yet a simple look around and you see we haven’t quite yet achieved the futuristic ideas portrayed in the movie. We still don’t have flying DeLoreans or, even more fun, hoverboards to get around on.

The “future” to people throughout the history of humanity has been a mixed bag. Sometimes, it has brought great things, great changes, and great improvement to many lives. Yet, the future has often been disappointing to many as well. The future has often fallen a little (if not a lot) short of what we have hoped for.

That’s because we don’t control the “future.” We can, and do, contribute to it with our actions or lack there of, but there are other people and things that play into the molding of the future. So what tomorrow, a decade, or a millenium from now will actually be like, we can only guess.

However, there is a part of the future — eternity — that we have some real facts about. God’s Word helps us get a grip on what our eternal future can really be like: a choice between perfection in everlasting communion with our Maker, or an eternal torture being separated from God. Our Creator has provided us with some specific facts about what everlasting life beyond this life can be like, and allows us to decide what future we will pursue for ourselves.

We work so hard to make tomorrow or next week be what we want it to be, but give so little attention to our eternity. We can only influence a small part of tomorrow’s possibilities, but we can specifically lock in what our eternal existence will be like. What kind of consideration have you given to your eternal future? The Apostle Paul helps us understand that it should be a priority to us when he writes, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

Heaven is the eternal reward for all those who have embraced the grace of God and have surrendered their entire lives to Him. Hell is reserved for all those who do not. Have you settled the issue of your eternal future?

Scotty