Three Ways to Restore Our Eternal Perspective

In American culture, it’s a widely accepted idea that possessions grow to fill the space available, however small or big our homes may be (and then they sometimes grow more into the overflow of storage units). In the opposite way that my possessions tend to grow, my perspective or worldview has a tendency to shrink down to the size of my family, friends, and work. 

Do you remember your high school feeling like the center of the world? I do. The only opinions, people, and outcomes that mattered existed within those walls. After high school, I began to travel, and my viewpoint grew and broadened through the incorporation of other people, cultures, and ideas. But after any length of time spent housebound, my concerns and perspectives tend to squish down once again.

When we think in spiritual terms, the same is also true. At the funeral of a loved one, intense intermingled emotions cause us to remember the realities of heaven, hell, the world that is passing away, and the coming of a new, redeemed world. We dwell on these ideas for a time, but that eternal perspective begins to fade away as it’s replaced with the pressing concerns of tonight’s dinner, tomorrow’s work project, and this weekend’s plans. 

How do we restore and nurture our perspective of eternity when the cares of this world seem to encroach on us every hour?

How do we restore and nurture our perspective of #eternity when the cares of this world seem to encroach on us every hour? Here are three ideas. #NotHomeYet Share on X

3 Ways to Restore an Eternal Perspective

“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Romans 8:23-25 NIV (emphasis mine)

1. Recognize your suffering as a marker of your longing to go home.

We see brokenness all around us—in ourselves, in other people, and in nature. Nothing is as it was created to be. When we suffer and grieve, we can let the wounds remind us not only of the broken state of our world but also of its temporary nature. We are journeying home where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4 NIV). Ask God to move you from a place of groaning in despair to groaning in eager anticipation of our home with God. Once there, our bodies will be redeemed and our adoption as sons and daughters will be fulfilled in every way.

We are journeying home where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4 NIV). #NotHomeYet #EternalPerspective Share on X

2. Remember the hope you held when you first trusted in Jesus for your salvation.

When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we hope and long to behold him face-to-face. Practice sharing your testimony with others, or write it down to encourage your own heart. Because of Jesus’s resurrection, we have hope for our own redemption. Remind yourself of the gospel. We never outgrow its truth and beauty. It is in “hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24). 

3. Practice patience.

The hope in which we were saved speaks of who Jesus is and what he did for us. That hope is built on the certainty of God to fulfill his promises. Although we know the reliability of the fulfillment of Scripture, we wait for the day when Jesus will return and restore all things. In this in-between time, we practice patience by remembering there is more to come. We can endure today for the hope of eternity with Jesus.

God of Renewal and Restoration

Unlike possessions that will grow if given a new spacious cabinet to fill, and unlike our concerns that expand and shrink depending on our exposure to different people and places, our eternal perspective is not dependent on our location or the amount of space we occupy. Paul found contentment in a small, dark jail cell. Persecuted Christians throughout history have rejoiced despite the restrictions on their liberty and freedom. Restoration and renewal begins with God, and the Holy Spirit resides in you, reader, if you’ve made Jesus lord of your life. Invite him to transform your suffering and groaning into anticipation. Ask him to renew your hope, and wait for the fulfillment of his promises knowing we serve a God who is faithful.

Have you gone through seasons forgetting the eternal perspective of the Bible? How has God restored you? What other ways can we invite God to restore our eternal perspective? I’d love to hear in the comments!