2 Corinthians 5:1-10
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened - not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
I like myself and my life. It is comfortable and familiar. But Paul warns us that "while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord" (verse 6). What he is suggesting here is that we need to be careful about getting too attached to our earthly life lest we miss out on the greater reward of heaven. If I put all of my energy into my looks, my romantic life, my ambitions, I can miss out on eternal life. The spiritual life takes time and energy like everything else in life, and one of the problems with our earthly fantasies and obsessions is that they distract us from an eternal focus. This is a
dangerous distraction, for ultimately "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (verse 10).
Lord, help me to keep a focus on the eternal, and to invest my time and energy accordingly.
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened - not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
I like myself and my life. It is comfortable and familiar. But Paul warns us that "while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord" (verse 6). What he is suggesting here is that we need to be careful about getting too attached to our earthly life lest we miss out on the greater reward of heaven. If I put all of my energy into my looks, my romantic life, my ambitions, I can miss out on eternal life. The spiritual life takes time and energy like everything else in life, and one of the problems with our earthly fantasies and obsessions is that they distract us from an eternal focus. This is a
dangerous distraction, for ultimately "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (verse 10).
Lord, help me to keep a focus on the eternal, and to invest my time and energy accordingly.