Pay Attention to What is Unseen
Dear COAH,
Pay attention to what is unseen.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
The Apostle Paul spoke of fixing our eyes on the unseen and eternal. What are we setting our eyes on right now? Is it the Kingdom of God and His righteousness or the things that please our eyes?
We must fix our eyes on the unseen and eternal. To do that, we must acknowledge that there is an unseen world after our life on earth is over. The Apostle teaches us that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
That's why we need to live our lives with the eschatological perspective. God can call us at any time. When He does, we need to respond right away. When the fire raged through the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui in August of 2023, people could not save anything. They had to watch as the flames, fueled by gushing winds, turned everything to ashes. When death calls us, we must go. We must lay down all we hold dear here on earth and go. And let us remember there will come a time when we will stand before the judgment seat of the Lord and give an account of all we have done.
Recently, I've seen several pastors make dishonorable exits in their later years of ministry due to inappropriate relationships with female members of the church. It's sad to see them fall. Can you imagine the hurt and sense of betrayal their family members and congregation members felt? If they are ever mended, it will take years.
How could this happen to preachers who stand in the pulpit every week with the Bible in their hands and proclaim the Word of God? But when you think about it, scandals don't just happen overnight. What we think about and live our lives with determines what we care about, and how we view the world defines our values and behaviors.
People with the eschatological perspective know that this life will eventually end. When we go before God, God will hold us accountable for everything we have done in this life. So, brothers and sisters, let us be careful and prudent about how we use the time, talent, and material resources God has entrusted to us in this life.
Blessings,
Pastor Minho Song