Rick Warren 18th February 2024 Devotional Message
Read Rick Warren 18th February 2024 Devotional – Monday Daily Hope Devotional Message
The Power of Eternal Thinking
By Rick Warren
“Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory. I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” – Romans 8:17-18 (GNT)
A famous Harvard study once showed a direct connection between long-term thinking and success. It revealed that the more people focus on short-term gain, the more likely they are to fail. Those who focus on what “feels good” right now are doomed to be unsuccessful.
For Christians, this should be obvious. When we talk of long-term thinking, we call it eternity. We’re not thinking 40 or 50 years into the future. We’re thinking trillions and trillions of years into the future.
Living with eternity in mind will make you the most successful person possible. When you think long-term—when you consider what God has in store for you in eternity—you can handle the momentary problems that come your way.
Romans 8:17-18 says, “Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory. I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (GNT).
If you’re a follower of Christ, one day you’ll be rewarded for what you’ve done with what you’ve been given. Use your talents, time, treasure, and influence for God’s purposes, and you’ll be rewarded for those choices. The verses above also say we’ll be rewarded in heaven for what Jesus did: “We will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him.”
You’ve got a lot to look forward to in heaven. Your current pain and problems may hurt for a while—but it’s just a little while compared to eternity.
It’s not easy to be a believer. It’s not easy to do what’s right. Sometimes it’s not easy to tell others about Jesus. It’s not easy to tithe. But the benefits of following Jesus and obeying what he teaches will far outlast the pain and discomfort.
Don’t focus only on instant results and your present troubles. You’ve got too much to look forward to in eternity to settle for short-term thinking.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What is a specific struggle you’re facing that would change if you saw it from an eternal perspective?
- How are you using your talents, time, treasure, and influence for God’s purposes?
- By thinking with an eternal perspective, what will become important to you?
Will you follow Jesus today?
God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (John 3:16–18 CSB).
Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
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