What is unseen

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
This is a verse that challenges us about where our focus is. It is easy to get caught up in what is right in front of us. The circumstances we find ourselves in. Trivial issues like X-factor, Big brother and celebrity culture. Stuff that really makes no impact after their fifteen minutes of fame is over. And it is obvious that that is not the kind of thing we should fix our eyes on.
But there are other things we can get caught up in. More serious things.
Relationships.
Financial problems.
Illness.
Exams.
Concerns about the future.
Break-ups.
All things that we can get so caught up in worrying about that they become the main issue in our life. And there is nothing wrong with being concerned if you are going through any of these issues. But in this verse Paul tells us that “what is seen is temporary”. The circumstances we face right now will not last forever. We follow a God who promises to one day remove all sorrows and wipe every tear away (see revelation 21:4). Yes it seems a big deal as we walk through the pain of a relationship breakup, as we struggle with the uncertainty of what the future holds, as we take the pills the doctor prescribed and then have to wait to see if they make things better, as we wonder if anyone really cares about us. But what is seen is temporary. There are better things to come.
Because we know how the story ends. We know that we get to spend eternity in heaven, living with God with “no more death or sorrows or crying or pain” Revelation 21:4. That is where we are headed. That is what we should fix our eyes on. That is what we should make our main issue. Where we are right now may not be great, but it is just a temporary stop on our journey towards the most amazing eternity with God our Father. So let’s fix our eyes on the eternal unseen rather than getting too caught up in the temporary problems we can see right now. For one day they will be over and we will wonder why we wasted so much time worrying about them.
{Nancy, that was for you. Better days will come, keep hope!}