Preparing for Something

It is early morning and I am upstairs writing. My teenage son just left a few minutes ago to go to cross-country practice. He will run scores of miles in preparation for upcoming races. Just now a huge pack of runners from another school ran past our home, which inspired me to write this. They are all preparing for something. In the preparation there is some benefit, some present reward, but not the ultimate one which they seek. They are running for a higher purpose than today but today, and even tomorrow, they benefit from today's hard work. On the flip side If they do not put in their best efforts they will experience some sort of loss today. And when race day comes, if they slacked off or did not try as hard or cut the course and ran less miles than their coach planned for them to run in practice, it will probably be revealed on that day.

It is similar to what Christians do every day in preparation for eternity. Living with an eternal view, or eternal perspective means that today is not all there is, there is something greater in store, heaven, which we are journeying towards. We believe that when Jesus comes back, or we go to be with Him, whichever comes first, we will be with Him forever in the place He has prepared for us. As Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure." There, in a way, you have a sort of parallel, or at least a weak example, for the daily workout and the ultimate race and subsequent reward.

We work, but all the while knowing it is God who ultimately is at work in us. He is sovereign, we are accountable to and completely under His authority. Whatever we are able to do ultimately happens because of Him. Even our desire comes from Him. And the amity to act upon the desire comes from Him. And the reward at the end of the race of life comes from Him. He is always previous. As Jim Eliot wrote, "wherever you are be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." with a deep belief in God's sovereignty over all, we can live today with confidence. We can put out whole efforts into what we do, because we know He ultimately will use it for His glory and our good.