Living with the long view in mind …

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The crux of one of the greatest challenges we human beings experience is that we are grossly impatient creatures living in a broken world that will not be wholly redeemed until Christ returns.

We don’t have the patience to wait a minute or two for a burrito to heat in a microwave, much less for the life-long process of transformation that requires of us something we’re naturally not good at — hope.

But it’s hope that fuels our capacity to push forward and learn to live with a long view of life in a world ruined by sin. As difficulties roll through the years of our lives, it’s a hope piercing through the trials that keeps us going.

Glenn Newton illustrates this certain hope we have through Christ with this story about a trip he took …

    I travel frequently, and there is no better feeling than knowing I have a confirmed reservation. My wife and I once had a late flight into Dallas and when we arrived at our hotel, at 2 a.m., they did not have our reservation. We were tired and there was no room at the inn. As a matter of fact, there were no rooms at any inns! Since our reservation for the next night was in Oklahoma City, I called the hotel, explained the situation, and asked them if I could get an extremely early check-in if I went ahead and drove up. They were kind enough to let us check in at 6:00 a.m. and there was no better feeling than knowing we had a reservation when we pulled up!

    Christian’s have a guaranteed reservation in heaven! Isn’t that a great feeling?

The hope that motivates the Christian to keep going forward is the promise of Christ Himself:

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns,” Philippians 1:6.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world,” John 16:33.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am,” John 14:1-3.

Are you learning to live with a long view of life, a hope in Christ that sustains you?

Scotty