Timeline
"He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
— Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
Since becoming a Christian, I’ve found myself wrestling with the weight of eternity. I’ve always been someone who naturally looks ahead – toward the next project, the next goal, the next phase of life. But faith has stretched that forward-looking mindset to a scale I hadn’t fully comprehended before. Now, the future isn’t just the next few decades – it’s eternal.
And yet, most of the conversations I find myself in are centered on this fleeting moment – the here and now.
When I step back and view life as if it were a timeline, the years we spend on earth feel incredibly small, almost insignificant, compared to the vastness of eternity that stretches endlessly ahead. This brief existence feels like nothing more than an introduction – the setting of principles and foundations, aligning us with the values of Christ.
It makes me wonder why we don’t talk about eternity more often.
The Enthusiasm of the Temporary
Think about how much enthusiasm people pour into the things that belong to this small fraction of our existence. Patriotism, loyalty to a football team, pride in career achievements – these things fuel us with passion, identity, and purpose.
People are willing to sacrifice time, resources, and even relationships for these temporary pursuits. Citizenship, for example, holds immense value in our world. People work tirelessly to secure the right to belong to a particular nation, often seeing it as a gateway to security and freedom. Entire identities are built around the notion of where we “belong” here on earth.
But the Bible tells us that our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). And if eternity is infinitely greater than our time here, why doesn’t that citizenship carry the same, if not more, weight in our lives?
It feels almost paradoxical. The ultimate citizenship – the one that defines our existence for eternity – is rarely the focus of our enthusiasm.
Earth as a Training Ground
The more I reflect on it, the more I feel like this life is just preparation. We’re not here to build something lasting – because nothing physical can follow us into eternity. The emphasis the world places on what we accumulate, achieve, or control feels like a distraction from the deeper reality.
It’s as if we’re being prepared to understand a profound truth – that true transcendence comes through learning to let go.
Consider the way we live now. When we travel to another country, we bring suitcases filled with things we feel we need – clothes, devices, personal items. These possessions give us comfort, control, and security. But in the grandest journey – the one from this life to eternity – we can bring nothing with us.
The idea that the greatest form of freedom is detachment feels counterintuitive at first. But Jesus constantly spoke about letting go – about dying to self, about storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth. It suggests that the real goal of this life is not to accumulate but to release.
It reminds me of a scene from The Matrix. When Neo is in the loading program, the environment is blank. Yet, anything can be loaded in – weapons, resources, clothing. All of it serves a function in the moment but holds no permanence. The key point is this: none of it exists permanently. The real substance lies beyond those temporary constructs.
I believe life works in a similar way. Everything around us is temporary – a simulation that exists to shape and prepare us for what’s to come. The relationships, the experiences, the work – they matter because they shape who we are becoming, not because they are eternal in and of themselves.
Letting Go to Move Forward
One of the most profound lessons I’m learning in faith is that the only way to move forward is to let go. This life feels like a test – not one of achieving or conquering, but of surrendering and trusting.
Jesus tells us that the narrow path leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). I think part of that narrowness is learning to strip away the things we hold onto too tightly. The more we release, the more freely we can step into the eternity we were created for.
It’s challenging, especially for someone like me who naturally gravitates toward building and planning for the future. But when I zoom out and view existence through the lens of eternity, the things that seem urgent now feel incredibly small.
A Call to Shift Focus
I think part of why eternity isn’t talked about as much is because it feels distant – abstract. We live grounded in the physical world, so it’s easier to invest in things we can touch and see.
But the reality is that eternity isn’t far off – it’s already begun.
Jesus didn’t describe eternal life as something that starts after death. In John 17:3, He says:
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Eternal life begins the moment we come to know Christ. This world may pass away, but the transformation of our souls – our alignment with God – is already part of eternity.
Living Like Eternity Is Now
If eternity is the biggest part of our existence, then maybe the best way to live is to start aligning with it now.
That doesn’t mean neglecting the responsibilities of today, but it does mean re-centering our focus. It’s about living lightly – holding onto things loosely and holding onto Christ firmly. It’s about finding joy, not in accumulation, but in becoming the person God is shaping us to be.
Earth isn’t the endgame. It’s the loading program – a temporary space designed to prepare us for the real thing. And the more I reflect on this, the more I realize that the greatest freedom is in knowing that this is only the beginning.