Smells Like Teen Spirit
There are only three things that are eternal…
When I lived on the central coast of California, I was asked to perform a funeral for a student who had tragically been killed. As I prepared to speak at the service celebrating the life of this young man, I couldn’t help but think of my own mortality. I asked myself, “What was I living for? What would I want to be placed on my tombstone?” And, “Are my time and talents being invested in things that will outlive me?”
As I prayed for this person’s family and evaluated my own life, I was reminded that there are only three things in life that are eternal: the Bible, God and our relationship with Him, and the souls of men and women. Living with this truth in mind is living with an eternal perspective.
What are some of those “things above” that we can live for? What are the things the Bible says are eternal and worthy of our investment? Here are a few:
God’s word is eternal. (Matthew 5:17-18) The writings of every other teacher or great philosopher will fade, but the wisdom of God in Scripture will always remain.
2. God is eternal and our relationship with Him is the only relationship that is eternal. (John 10:27-31)
3. Souls of men and women are eternal – all people will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. (John 3:16-18, 36; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thess. 1:5-12)
The Bible is clear on what to focus on that is eternal: living for Him and others. In college, one of my favorite bands was Nirvana. Nirvana has the best song in the history of songs, Smells Like Teen Spirit. I remember, before and after class, after work, especially before going surfing, even on my way home from Bible study, and pretty much everywhere else, I listened to that song.
I also remember having no idea what Nirvana was singing about– the more I listened, the murkier the song seemed. Nirvana was loud, but they were hardly clear in their message.
Fortunately, God is much clearer about the message–the story–of the Bible. From the very beginning of Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, we see the obvious theme of the Bible: God’s love for all people (including you!), and his desire to bless all people.
Another word for bless is the word heal. One of my professors in seminary, David McDonald, says that God desires to use us to heal others. He once said to me that we, as God’s followers, are all about healing, “The church is an agency of healing. We continue the mission of Jesus, picking up where he left off. We are the body of Christ and each one of us has a role to play in cultivating God’s kingdom on earth.” I like the idea of helping heal people. Helping people is living with an eternal perspective.
For more on life with an eternal perspective pick up your copy of Dropping In: Experience the Life You Were Meant to Live. http://droppingin.surf
