The cure for inaction

Happy Sunday,

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:20

Does focusing on eternity lead to passivity?
A common perspective The Pour Over offers in response to a news story is some variation of “focus on eternity.” And a common criticism to that perspective is some variation of “we shouldn’t just ignore what’s happening on earth.”

Yes. I agree. And that’s why we should spend more time focusing on eternity.

Let me explain.

Spending time dwelling on eternity—forcibly reminding ourselves that we, and everyone we will ever meet, are eternal beings of infinite worth—is what will give us the boldness to take action. As Christians, we can live without fear not because nothing bad can happen to us on earth, but because our eternity is secure regardless of what happens on earth. When we really believe this—and remember how much bigger eternity is than today—it doesn’t make us indifferent to the world’s problems but bold in our response to them.

If you view someone as infinitely valuable AND know that your eternity is 100% secure… why wouldn’t you take a big “risk” to help them? It’s not even risky. It’s just an obviously good thing to do.

C.S. Lewis has a great quote on this exact idea: “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”

So whenever I’m frustrated with the world, but—let’s be honest—doing very little about it… I know I need to spend more time focusing on eternity, visualizing heaven, and considering the implications of eternity. This does not lead to detachment; it leads to action.

What do you think?
Jason

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