“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
Contemporary Americans are inundated with “things” which are seen. We concern ourselves with houses (and their furnishing), cars, and our appearances. We try so hard to not “look” a certain way to others, because we are afraid to be viewed as “less than” – whether that be poor, unhealthy, unintelligent or any other way that makes us appear inferior.
Unfortunately, Christians succumb to this covetousness as well – even in churches. We display our suits, dresses, jewelry, shoes, haircuts, and even Bibles, not as humble servants there to worship the King, but as pious worshipers of self-confidence and esteem.
We seek the approval of others by working long hours so we can purchase the “finer” things. It has been said that “we work to buy things we cannot afford with money we do not have to impress people we do not like.”
We spend more time at work than with our families. We spend more money on Starbucks than on missionaries. We spend more time on walking on treadmills than passing out tracts. We spend more time amusing ourselves to death than we do witnessing to others about eternal life.
2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
We Christians WILL be judged one day. This judgment is not about our salvation, because that matter was settled when we were born again, but “the things done in [our] body” – our works.
1 Corinthians 3:13-14 reads, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”
Our works are temporal, but those rewards are eternal. That is why our eyes should be set on Heaven, not here on Earth. We should look to furnish our Heavenly mansions, not these earthly ones that will eventually be consumed by fire and burn up.
We have promises from God that exceed the things we see around us in ways we cannot fathom. Consider the stress we put ourselves under so we can buy a new, shiny object here on this doomed planet, when we could be glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through giving, serving, and being better stewards with our time and money.
Look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not.
Simmons' Opinions 