Choosing Where I Put My Faith, Hope, and Love

The word “forever” can be interpreted differently depending on what a person wants. A couple reciting their marriage vows might intend the meaning to be “as long as I shall live” or “until things get too difficult.” A child who claims to have a BFF (best friend forever) could be wanting it to mean “until we part ways,” or “until the end of the school year,” or even “until I find a better friend.” That person who received a life sentence in prison likely chooses for it to mean “until a successful appeal can be made.”

The English language has so many words that can be used as synonyms for “forever.” Everlasting, perpetual, enduring, undying, unending, perennial, unceasing, always. And there are many more. It’s almost as if there is something hardwired inside us to expect, or to long, for things or situations that have no end, or at least to feel like they have no end. Yet, it is so hard for us mortals to grasp a mental picture of any thing, any situation, any relationship, or any being that could exist forever. We seem to be stuck in an in-between place, imagining and desiring something we cannot fully picture, hold on to, or even decide if we truly want.

It Will Have NO END

The Biblical word is “eternal.” As followers of Jesus, we have been promised eternal life (John 3:16). What does eternal, unending existence mean? Every once in awhile I realize how little I plan around the idea of living forever. I rarely think about possessing something that never ends and cannot be taken from me. But if I truly believe that endless life is my future, how should I think, respond, and choose differently in my everyday life today?

And horrors of horrors, what if those things to which I give all my time, energy, and thought in this life are the only things available to me in my eternal existence? What qualities, accomplishments, attitudes, or relationships that I presently possess do I want to live with forever? Which ones of them have any eternal value?

For a long time, I have been fascinated with the last verse of 1 Corinthians 13. Known by many as the “Love Chapter,” it provides a beautiful description of what love looks like. The last verse says: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).

Building Materials for Eternity

The idea that somehow the qualities of faith, hope, and love are all that is truly going to last forever intrigues me. I cannot fully picture what that will look like or what that fully means. But it seems these three qualities are like “forever stuff.” They are the containers that will hold that which is eternally mine. If this is true, then I need to pay attention to what I put my faith hope and love in. I am sure that many of us know after a respectable number of years of living that these qualities can be applied to almost anything but not always with the best ultimate results. Faith, hope, and love are not merely “religious” concepts but are common to every human being. Everyone on this earth exercises faith in something; puts his hope in something; and loves something. But not all their investments prove beneficial.

I trust (or have faith in) many things. My trust in the chair I am sitting in right now is so complete that I do not even think about it. Yet my trust could be misplaced, and I collapse on the floor. I also trust the garbage truck to come around each Wednesday to prevent our house from overflowing with trash. But it’s also possible it might not show up at all. Then there’s the trust I put into systems of thought like democracy or certain educational ideals, etc. Are they all trustworthy? It is not much farther of a stretch to place my trust in a deity, especially one that claims to be both powerful and good. It is what the God of the Bible asks for, after all.

Hope is something I cannot live without. My mind is wired to look for and pursue what I believe to be good. It is what gets me out of bed each morning to face whatever may come. It is where I find meaning for my life. I may find it in as simple (and shallow) of a place as my next favorite meal. It may be in looking forward to that perfect vacation, building that dream house, or retiring to travel and play. It may be in finding that perfect spouse, job, or acceptance in a community of like-minded thinkers. It’s when a person loses hope that she is in grave danger of losing her life. Despair can be deadly. Of course, we are told that we can put our hope in Jesus. What kind of future goodness might He be offering?

And then there is love. Even the most unemotional, calloused person loves something or someone. But for many, love quickly bottoms out in mere self-interest. I love most whatever I give myself to, and typically it is what I believe is going to provide the best for me, whether that be security, pleasure, or power.

A Forever House

Now, imagine whatever you are putting your ultimate faith, hope, and love in at this moment is the essence of what you will dwell in . . . or become . . . Forever! The building materials of your eternal home, or your eternal self, what are they going to be made of? What if those qualities of yours that were intended to last forever — your faith, your hope, and your love — end up being invested into things that are at best temporary and shallow, like food, money, sex, comfort, control and power over others, job prestige?

What if we end up making our “forever house” out of stuff that CANNOT last forever?

Lord, teach me to invest my faith, hope, and love in that which is eternally valuable.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV).

Live today with forever in mind!

Response:

• How much do I think about living forever? How would my approach to life be different if I thought about this more?
• What am I trusting in for my wellbeing? Is it worthy of my FAITH?
• What am I looking forward to that keeps me getting up each morning to face the trials of that day? Is it worthy of my HOPE?
• What am I giving myself to that guides every decision that I make? Is it worthy of my LOVE?
• Jesus, teach me how to invest for eternity.