This is the Christian’s true wisdom: Acquiring and utilizing the neccessary knowledge, skills and character for getting ahead in this world to the glory of one’s Creator while simultaneously preparing for the next world. Striving for success in both worlds while understanding that one success lasts just as long as one is privileged to live while the other success is unending.
Perpetual preparation is what separates the mature Christian from the baby Christian. How does one prepare for one’s permanent home? By minimizing the contemporary lifestyle in the temporary abode and practising the expected lifestyle in the permanent abode. And what is the expected lifestyle in the permanent abode? It is summarized in the Great Commandment which Jesus taught has summed up all the other commandments.
6 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matt. 22:36-40
What if one is not able to practice this permanent abode lifestyle in the temporary abode, will one be able to adjust when one gets there? If that is the only law of the land over there, and one never got it quite right over here, what happens? Can one learn it there?
Well, that is another question above my paygrade but my suspicion is that all the windows for learning that lifestyle will be closed. Everyday in this temporary abode, we are given big and little opportunities to choose to practice that commandment as part of our rehearsal for the next world. Usually they will involve sacrifices on our part, but that is where wisdom will tell us that it is a small price to pay for gradually acquiring that desired lifestyle in readiness for an unknown day.
May the Holy Spirit open our hearts to the wisdom of Perpertual Preparation and help us with the strength and courage we need to choose the option to rehearse everyday.
“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky….….”But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Culled from Mk 13:24-32)
Hilltop Thoughts, Valley Strengths 