This Vagabond ...

Part 3: LIFE ON EARTH IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT
Life on earth, according to the Bible, is brief, temporary and of transient nature.
Compared with eternity, life is extremely brief.
Earth is only a temporary residence.
You won’t be here forever, so don’t get too attached.
David prayed: Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here but for a moment more.”
We’re just passing through, just visiting earth.
“I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.”-Psalm 119.19.
If you call God your father, live your time as temporary residents on earth.
God says that His children are to think differently about life from the way unbelievers do.

Phillipians 3:19-20:
19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…

There is far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet.
Once you fully grasp the truth that your identity is in eternity and your homeland is heaven, you stop worrying about “having it all” on earth!
God is very blunt about the danger of living ‘here and adopting the values, priorities, and life-styles of the world around us. When we flirt with temptations, God calls it ‘Spiritual Adultery’.
“ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God”.
-James 4:4
We are Christ’s ambassadors. Sadly, even many people who think of themselves as followers of Jesus Christ often forge this spiritual truth.
Peter wrote:
“Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” – 1 Peter 2:11
This world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it.
Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.
God warns us to NOT get too attached to what’s around us, because it is all temporary. Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all its contains will pass away.
(See 1 Corinthians 7:31).
With all the fascinating attractions, mesmerizing media, and enjoyable experiences available today, we are constantly entertained, amused and catered to. Hence it’s easy to forget that the pursuit of happiness is not what life is all about!
Only as we remember that life is a test, or trust, and a temporary assignment in preparation for eternity will the appeal of these ‘good’ but secondary things lose grip on our lives. We are preparing for something even better.
“The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
-2 Corinthians 4: 18.

The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world.
It also explains why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair.
In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life – longings that will never be fulfilled. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be.
Coz we’re created for something much more wonderful!
Likewise, a fish would never be happy living on land because it was made for water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn’t allowed to fly.
You will have many happy moments on earth, but it’s nothing compared with what God has planned for you.
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. – 2 Corinthians 4:18.
It is a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it.
An abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort!
He’s more interested in what you are becoming than in making life easy for you.
Remember, life is a test.
St. Paul was faithful to God, yet he ended up in prison.
John the Baptist, and millions of faithful people have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come the end of life with nothing to show for it in the world’s eyes.
But in God’s eyes, the greatest heroes are not those who achieve prosperity, success and power in this life, but those who treat life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.
Your time on earth is not the complete story of your life. The rest of the chapters must wait until Heaven.
When life gets tough, when you’re overwhelmed with doubt, or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the effort, remember that you are not home yet!
There may not be recognition, cheering crowds, red carpet for you on earth, but keep the hope alive that all these are temporary and of NO eternal values.