Perhaps the greatest distraction of our time comes in the form of something we call ‘stuff’. The world seems to be absolutely full of it. It’s actually quite a strange term because we lump lots of things together under the same word. We talk about our problems, our physical belongings, the things that happen in the places where we work, the things that happen in our homes, the things we see on social media or on TV and even our health as ‘stuff’. It consumes our every waking moment and absorbs our attention even when we want to be looking beyond the ‘stuff’ of life to see our God and Creator.

Paul had a lot of stuff going on in his life and ministry too. It was just different to the kinds of things we find ourselves wrestling with now. In verses 8 and 9 he says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” That sounds much worse to me than finding something catty or unpleasant that somebody has posted on Facebook or deeper than the angry person at work who lashed out at me during a coffee break – if you get my drift.

At the end of the chapter he says “we do not lose heart” (v.16) and, “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.” In other words, none of the ‘stuff’ we have to deal with or that we often insist on carrying around with us is important. What is really important is not the here and now at all but the gift of eternal bliss that Jesus won for us on the cross. That is what we should fix our eyes upon, not the ‘stuff’ in front of us.

***

Questions:

What is consuming your thoughts right now? What is it that’s occupying your thoughts and consuming your mental and possibly physical energy? Is it Jesus? Or is it something more earthly?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You that You won a place for me in heaven. Thank You that Your gift to me is both personal and eternal. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and upon eternity rather than on the troubles in front of me. Show me Your face Lord as I lift up my eyes to fix them on You. Amen.