Temporal vs. Eternal Mindset: What Are You Choosing?
As humans, we tend to get lost in the tunnel vision of the here and now instead of taking the time to look at the big picture. When Peter writes, “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides so that in all things, God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” (Peter 4:7-11), he asks us to follow Jesus’ basic lessons of prayer, love, service, and thanksgiving to God through daily faithfulness.
He emphasized that the end is near and we should live like it. It’s a simple way of life that puts into perspective the fleetingness of this world and the eternal life of the next one. This way of thinking starts with a shift in our mindset. To accomplish those teachings, we must first change our perspective from a worldly one to one of eternal life.
Main Character Syndrome
Many of us get trapped within the mindset of being the “main character” of our story where we are so focused on our wants, needs, and desires that we neglect those same things in others around us. We become so short-sighted and consequently, lose the ability to see others the way Jesus sees them. This mentality has a way of fogging our minds; the moment we can shift that temporal view to one of eternal life, we will be able to see things more clearly.
Shifting one’s entire mentality isn’t an easy feat but some practical steps can help guide us so that every day, we’re a step closer to living as Jesus did.
Practical Steps to Shifting Your Mindset
To begin this switch, we must ask ourselves the following questions:
1. What Are Your Inputs?
Challenge yourself by considering the amount of ungodly inputs you allow into your life. In today's era of friends, family, coworkers, social media, and the multitude of streaming services, it can easily lead us down the dangerous path of instant gratification. But beware—it’s not always the most obvious sins that are harmful, even the seemingly innocent ones have a way of tugging our minds and hearts in the wrong direction.
2. Where Does Your Mind Wander in the Quiet?
Take the time and think about the things that capture your attention in those quiet moments. Paul says in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” This is to warn us of the potentially dangerous inputs we allow access to in our lives; they have a way of pulling us away from God.
The Key Takeaway
We acknowledge that this is not easy, especially in an instant gratification culture where fast food is not always fast enough or where you can order on that app instead of waiting in line because we have things to do and people to see. This has a way of attacking our hearts and is why God urges us to live with an eternal life perspective. Paul David Trip says, “When you forget eternity, you tend to lose sight of what's important.” This is to say our worldly inconveniences are minuscule in the grand scheme of things when we have an eternal life waiting.
What is temporary will never truly satisfy a person's heart. So the next time you have a quiet moment and your mind starts to wander, ask yourself: how important is this to me? Is this temporal or eternal? Use that as your guide and notice how much one outweighs the other. The more we shape our lives into an eternal path, the more we walk as Jesus once did.
