Eternity

It’s hard to think about eternity when as humans we were created to currently exist in time. Anything that we don’t know or understand can be scary. Theologians have discussed this and explored forever for-ever and still can’t wrap their mind around it either. I could say don’t worry about it but that’s like saying just ignore the big blue elephant with pink tennis shoes. Some things are hard to stop thinking about once we start.

It’s OK to be worried and it’s also OK to talk to someone about it, even God himself. After all He knows all of our thoughts and nothing is hidden from him.

None of us really know what the future of forever looks like. We know that Christ, the Father and the Spirit will be there. We know that we will be loved and we will respond in love back (BTY that’s what worship really is – loving God and wanting to please Him and trying to not disappoint Him.) We know that we will have tasks in the future but they won’t be difficult because God will be with us and strengthen us to do what ever is asked of us.

Perhaps it will help to understand that in the Hebrew mind the idea of eternal life starts the moment you decide to become a follower of Jesus. Eternal life is both for now and for after this life. Their concept of human existence was holistic. Their understanding of Heaven was also holistic or all encompassing when it comes to time, space, what our purpose is and will be.

Often we think about be a follower of Christ kind of like something that matters a little bit in the here and now but it really starts to mean something after we die and are present with God. Yet Jesus came to give our lives meaning now as well as after this life.

When He announced that the Kingdom was at hand, He meant it was starting right now. Our “job” is to do His bidding not just in the future but in the present, too. When you think of His kingdom realize that it is already here. We are tasked with establishing it in the here and now. When we get to heaven we will continue to do what we are commanded to do right now, obey His commands and do his will (whatever that might look like in the future)

So in a crazy sense we are currently living not only in the present but also because of the future that He has promised us.

When time no longer exists I wonder if we will miss it? I kind of thing that we won’t even notice that is gone, if that’s true forever won’t feel so forever. It will feel like living in a much larger now.

I don’t know if I adequately answered your question or not but to sum up my comments. I think while the future is unknown (at least to us), eternity is something we are currently living in while we also exist in time.

Just that one day, time will be no more!

Pastor Val