‘And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
The Future Glory
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ‘ Romans 8:17-18(NLT)
A famous Harvard study once showed a direct connection between long-term thinking and success. The more people focused on short-term gain, the more likely they were to fail. Those who focus on what “feels good” right now are doomed to be unsuccessful.
For Christians, this should be easy. When we talk of long-term thinking, we call it eternity. We’re not thinking 40 or 50 years into the future. We’re thinking trillions and trillions of years in the future.
Living with eternity in mind will make you the most successful person possible. When you think long-term, you can handle the momentary problems that come your way.
One day, if you’re a follower of Christ, you’ll be rewarded for what you’ve done with what you’ve been given. Use your talents, time, treasure, and influence for God’s purposes, and you’ll be rewarded for those choices. The verses above also say we’ll be rewarded in Heaven for what Jesus did: “We will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him.”
You’ve got a lot to look forward to in Heaven. Compared to what’s in store for you in Heaven, your current pain and problems are petty.
It’s not easy to be a believer. It’s not easy to do what’s right. Sometimes it’s not easy to tell others about Jesus. It’s not easy to tithe. But the benefits of following Jesus and obeying what he teaches will far outlast the pain.
It’s simply foolish to focus only on short-term results.
from The Invisible War