How To ThriveSample

How To ~~ Survive ~~ THRIVE - Spiritually Day 7: You Grow When You Approach Life With An Eternal And Not A Temporal Perspective Have you ever played a game you know you’re going to win? I recently watched my husband compete in a race where in the last few minutes, he was guaranteed to come third. The first two athletes had already finished, and the guys behind him were too far behind to catch him. He was exhausted and sore. But he knew how the race would end. He had the courage to keep going. He fumbled a little here and there, but his mistakes were nothing in the big picture. He knew the outcome and he finished strong. When you know how the race is going to end, suddenly the temporary pain is bearable. The setbacks and frustrations don’t mentally throw you into despair. Hardship doesn’t cause you to give up. You know how the game ends. What are some struggles you’re facing right now? What pain or hardship is making you want to give up? As followers of Jesus, we know how the game ends. We can choose to look at things with an eternal perspective. Even the people we know who have hurt us, or disappointed us - we can look at them through God’s eyes. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know Him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new”. Our eternal perspective is that Jesus has conquered death and pain. Our eternal perspective is that God is making all things new. Our eternal perspective is that we are God’s children that He will never forsake, abandon or leave. Our eternal perspective is that ultimately God is drawing everyone and everything to Himself, and this world is on a trajectory of redemption. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love: “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” God is love. And God loves you. So today, declare this over your circumstances and give yourself an eternal perspective: God always protects. God always trusts. God always hopes. God always perseveres. God never fails. Amen! Written by Jess Basson | UMH \ \ PM Pastor [Illustrations included in this devotional are not visible in this view. Illustrations are only supported in the Bible App for iOS, Android, and at Bible.com]