A famous Harvard study once showed a direct connection between long-term thinking and success. It revealed that the more people focus on short-term gain, the more likely they are to fail. Those who focus on what “feels good” right now are doomed to be unsuccessful.

For Christians, this should be obvious. When we talk of long-term thinking, we call it eternity. We’re not thinking 40 or 50 years into the future. We’re thinking trillions and trillions of years into the future.

Living with eternity in mind will make you the most successful person possible. When you think long-term—when you consider what God has in store for you in eternity—you can handle the momentary problems that come your way.

Romans 8:17-18 says, “Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory. I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (GNT).

If you’re a follower of Christ, one day you’ll be rewarded for what you’ve done with what you’ve been given. Use your talents, time, treasure, and influence for God’s purposes, and you’ll be rewarded for those choices. The verses above also say we’ll be rewarded in heaven for what Jesus did: “We will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him.” 

You’ve got a lot to look forward to in heaven. Your current pain and problems may hurt for a while—but it’s just a little while compared to eternity.

It’s not easy to be a believer. It’s not easy to do what’s right. Sometimes it’s not easy to tell others about Jesus. It’s not easy to tithe. But the benefits of following Jesus and obeying what he teaches will far outlast the pain and discomfort.

Don’t focus only on instant results and your present troubles. You’ve got too much to look forward to in eternity to settle for short-term thinking.