Eternity.
Eternity is a very long time. How long is the average life span? 70-80 years? That sounds like a really long time but compare that with eternity. What is 80 years compared to eternity? If you were to stretch out eternity and 80 years side by side what would it look like? Would 80 years look like an inch? A pin head? Or could it even be seen? How can you measure eternity?
I've been thinking about this and how our culture works. We are often so focused on our needs and our wants in the moment, but what does that matter compared to eternity?
Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Jesus suffered tremendous pain but he did not let Himself get down or lose hope. He was looking at eternity and knew the joy that would come so He went through with the pain and agony here on earth knowing that the joy of eternity would be so much greater than the agony of the cross.
1 Peter 2:23 "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."
I'm reading a book called Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and it says this about this passage. "To take Him as our master means that we trust His way is right and, as He Himself did, always look to the larger good under God. Like Him we keep on entrusting ourselves to the One who judges righteously."
The book The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi shares this conversation between 2 friends about perfect joy. (I am also using Renovation of the Heart for this quote too. It's a good book:)
They are trudging through the snow from Perugia to the home of their group at St. Mary of the Angeles. For their brotherhood to give a great example of holiness and edification in all lands would not be perfect joy, Francis says. Nor would a great ministry of healing and raising the dead. Nor would possession of all languages and all science, nor all understanding of prophecy and Scripture, and insight into the secrets of every soul. Nor would even the conversion of all unbelievers to faith in Christ!
By this point brother Leo is amazed, and he begs Francis to teach him "wherein is perfect joy." The reply is that if, when they come to their quarter--dirty, wet, and exhausted from hunger--they are rejected, repeatedly rebuffed, and finally driven away by force, then "if we accept such injustice, such cruelty, and such contempt with patience, without being ruffled and without murmuring," and "if we bear all these injuries with patience and joy, thinking of the sufferings of our blessed Lord, which we would share out of love for Him, write, O Brother Leo, that here finally is perfect joy."
This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 10:37-39 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
I know that if I faced those situations that Francis had described, very rarely would I respond with joy. But that's it! To lose my life means to no longer place my own desires and needs above God's desires. And by doing that I then find my life in Jesus Christ, which is much better than anything that I could have hoped for on my own. I will face troubles but God works thing out for good and not for evil.
A Christ centered life is a life that places God's desires above our own, a life where we are willing to be tired, dirty and persecuted all for the sake of Jesus Christ. It's a life where we respond with joy when bad things happen and we do not lose hope because we are looking at eternity which we have in Jesus Christ. A Christ centered life is a life trusting in God's plan when it doesn't make sense to us and knowing that eternity with God will easily out shine this life here on earth. As a believer in Jesus this is meant for me and all other believers.
Will it be easy? No!
Dying to self requires pain. But the joy that comes afterward will last for eternity!
Take up the challenge and live a Christ centered life.
It's Jesus who provides perfect joy.
