
And the Lord said to [Moses], “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” Deuteronomy 34:4
It strikes me as somewhat sad that Moses never got to actually enter into the Promised Land after he led the Israelites through the desert for 40 years. And I think of Abraham and Sarah, who never got to actually see the multitudes of descendants that came about through them and their miracle son Isaac, whom God had promised to them.
Maybe it is because I am solidly in middle age, but it occurs to me now more profoundly that I will most likely not be here in 50 year, so I will not see the end result of some projects or plans in the works in my personal or professional life.
The same applies for us in the Church. What we do now may not see full completion in our lifetimes. So how do we respond to that reality? For me, it comes down to three areas:
- Place. We must do all we can to make the house of the Lord a place that remains intact. What can we do now to make sure that the building where we worship today is clean, presentable, well-kept, in good condition and a welcoming structure for visitors and members in the future who will pray, praise and give thanks to God here.
- Community. It is imperative for Christian believers of the future to be a part of a vibrant, reverent, dedicated, faithful, loving, caring and forgiving community. We can lay the groundwork for that type of community now in how we intereract in a Christ-like manner with those around us, and we can grow that community by offering more opportunities to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
- Vision. It will be hard for future generations to know where they are going if there is no vision. We must make certain that the Christian vision of a future in heaven with Jesus for all who believe in him is clearly voiced, repeated and passed on. It is this vision that will bring focus to future days here in earth, even when we are no longer here.
Think of ways you can look to the future in what you say and do. Though you may not be able to see it currently, your life now has impact on what happens later. Lean in to that privilege.