Three Ways to Look at Trouble in Light of Eternity

by Rick Warren — September 28, 2022
From Eternal Realities

“Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.”

Colossians 3:2 (TLB)

When you live in light of eternity, you don’t get discouraged as easily by trouble. You don’t give up because you know what is coming is the best gift you’ve ever been given. 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up . . . These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever” (TLB).

I don’t know what trouble you’re going through right now, but I can tell you three things about it:

  • One, it’s not going to last. Even if it lasts your entire lifetime, it’s still not going to last forever.
  • Second, whether or not you caused the problem you’re going through right now, God will still use it for good in your life. It will even build your character if you’ll surrender it to him.
  • Third, you’re going to be rewarded for your suffering for Christ in eternity forever.

When you arrive in heaven, you’ll be in awe of being in the presence of Jesus. But if you weren’t so overwhelmed by Christ’s presence, your first thought would probably be something like: “What was I thinking? Why did I spend so much time trying to impress people? Trying to be popular? Trying to pile up a bunch of money on Earth? I had no time to serve God, no time to give, no time to share, no time for relationships, no time for what matters most. I was doing all the seemingly right things. But why didn’t I make more time for what mattered most?”

So much of what you do—even some of the good things—is not going to last. You need to realize that every second of your life has eternal implications. Every decision. Every thought. Every action. Every word. Every attitude. Every feeling. Every kindness. Every sin.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here” (TLB).

God is watching and testing you to see what you will receive in heaven. When you live a purpose driven life, you are constantly asking questions like: Will this last? Does it deserve my money? Does it deserve my time? Does it deserve my reputation?

And most importantly, you need to ask: Does it make a difference for God’s forever kingdom?

Talk It Over

  • If you let heaven fill your thoughts, what would change about how you view your current circumstances?
  • What does it mean to surrender your trouble to God?
  • To what temporary, earthly thing have you been giving too much of your time, emotions, and energy? How will you shift your focus today?

God wants you in his family.

God made you to love you, and one of the places you see that most clearly is on the cross. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God made it possible for you to become part of his family for eternity. No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive.

Are you ready? Here’s a prayer you can start with: “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and toward you.

“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


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