Eternity In The Heart

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

IN WORD

God has put eternity in the human heart—not just the thought of the everlasting, but the things of eternity. Our truest desires are deep and lasting. Our purpose is centered in the eternal King. Our future is integrally tied into the story He is writing. And our hearts are constantly looking for connections with that story.

That’s why we so desperately try to fill our lives with meaning. We were made for it. When we begin to see the big-picture story, we begin to live with a sense of adventure. Life is no longer a series of mundane tasks. Every interaction, every responsibility is not only significant for what it accomplishes; it’s significant for the way we accomplish it. We see His story going on inside of us, and everything we do and say takes the plot a step further. And we see His story going on inside of others, and everything we do has the potential to impact the way they experience it. The transformation at the center of this story—the one going on inside of us and others—does not come without challenges and obstacles. You might be fighting a raging battle inside while facing circumstances that look normal to everyone else. Hardly anyone knows the major role you’re playing, but you do. It’s enormously significant. When you see the big picture, suddenly the stakes are high.

IN DEED

You have choices. You can see the items on today’s to-do list as a series of insignificant tasks, or you can see them—particularly your approach to them—as a vital scene in the eternal story. You may have never noticed how your attitudes and outlook affect those around you, but they do. You may have never realized the ripple effects of the battles you win, but they extend much farther than you think. Eternity is in your heart because God wanted you to live with that perspective. Step into His story in every area of your life, and live as though everything has meaning. Because it does.

ADDITIONAL READING: Colossians 3:15-17

The Kingdom of God is where our best dreams come from and our truest prayers.

FREDERICK BUECHNER