God calls us to live in the world and love. While we’re in the world, we don’t have to agree with what the world thinks. We’re called to do our best not to be corrupted. James 1:27 GNT What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world. So when we’re struggling in this life, we should not ever take the easy way out if it compromises our morals. Even if it would benefit us monetarily to be dishonest, we should be honest. Everything we do, we should be happy looking back at it without regret of compromising our morals. This is what is meant to have an eternal mindset.

One thing in Heaven there won’t be is people that suffer. Only on Earth do people suffer. So we should strive to help those who are poor or hurt on Earth. We only live on this fallen Earth once. This short period of time on Earth is our only time we can ever help others to relieve them of suffering. When we’re in Eternity, God might congratulate you on a job well done if you spend your life to help others instead of just living for yourself.

An eternal mindset is one that keeps us from getting too caught up in day to day agitation. Has your credit card company cheated you ever? Then you need to call them on the phone. You get heated that you have to fight through pressing numbers to get to someone. When you talk to someone, they are hard to understand because they have a thick accent. Next they hassle you or don’t understand what you’re saying. They transfer you to another department and put you on hold for over a half an hour. You’re beginning to get somewhere with another person, but then your cell phone drops the call. Things like this commonly happen to us daily. If you’re not in an eternal attitude, you can get highly upset or flip out when it seems like the world is colluding to make your life one big hassle.

With an eternal mindset, nothing should ever phase you much. You know even if your friends or family die that they’re going to Heaven. So what could bother a person with their mind focused on Heaven? Nothing should bother you.

Whether we succeed or fail in finances is entirely irrelevant. Have you seen the Occupy Wall Street crew? I understand where they’re coming from. They want the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes. They’re trying to stay non-violent, but allegedly the wealthy hire people to infiltrate, spy, and harass. After all, it only takes one agent or idiot vandalizing, or throwing rocks at police from inside a crowd to make the entire crowd look bad. A man need not be jealous of the wealthy though. If God’s lot for you has you unemployed, try and start a business or do volunteer work. Whether you’re rich or poor doesn’t matter to God though. A rich man might gain more blessings in Heaven if he donates to the poor. A poor man might gain more blessings in Heaven if he uses his time to be a blessing to others. Matthew 20:16 GNT And Jesus concluded, “So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.” We should focus on living for God, and have an eternal mindset that we’re going to Heaven someday. Sure we should strive to work, but if there aren’t any opportunities, we can’t get bent out of shape or jealous. For when you’re jealous of another’s wealth, you’re sinning. Having an eternal mindset we shouldn’t let it bother us if we don’t seem to be getting ahead or if we’re struggling in the midst of a tough season.

One of the areas in which we should maintain a mindset for eternity is in our marital status.If we never get a spouse, we should be content in our singleness and rest assured that God has a reason for it. 1 Corinthians 8 Now, to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. 9 But if you cannot restrain your desires, go ahead and marry-it is better to marry than to burn with passion. In the Bible, it seems like it is a blessing for God to give people a spouse and descendants. In fact getting descendants is one of the major blessings in the Bible. However, God seems to be giving some descendants and others not. This doesn’t mean the people without a spouse are cursed by God. You can be unable to have kids for whatever reason, but God still loves you greatly. Focus on loving others, and doing good. Don’t get so caught up in doing everything you can for a spouse that you don’t serve God. And don’t feel that because you became old and never married that all hope is lost. The older you are, the closer you are to God’s kingdom. We should not fear death, and we should not hurry towards it either.

Don’t worry about getting cheated, concern yourself more with preventing others from being abused or neglected. Scripture says,”to do unto others as you’d want them to do unto you”, but you can also take this to the next level. You should esteem others greater than yourself. Don’t worry about getting ripped off as much as you worry about ripping others off. Today’s capitalism seems to be replaced with,”Scam others because everyone is trying to scam you.” All you can do is protect yourself from being scammed, but don’t let this make you think less of others. The scammer will have to answer one day to God. He’s the one who really loses the most in a scam. Still in deals of work and negotiations, there is no need to strong arm into the worst position so you negotiate better. Accept a fair deal, and do your work as a matter of conscience.

An eternal mindset will keep your ship sailing in fair weather. There will be storms, wind and waves. God won’t let your boat get rocked to the point of capsizing if you accept God’s providence. God has everything under control. The worst can happen, and then you praise God in the storm. Look forward to the future in hope. You’ll be able to have smooth sailing even at the worst condition. Just as Douglas Adams wrote in his Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy books,”Don’t Panic.” The Bible also said to warriors of God not to panic. God is on your side, and you should be confident always. Don’t let temporary things of this world concern yourself so much that they bother you. Be content that you’re going to Heaven, and do hard work if you can in the meantime knowing that hard work itself is a blessing. Success or failure on Earth is temporary, but we’re guaranteed an ultimate success and reward in Heaven if we strive to do good in all situations on Earth.

-James Sager

*1 Being blown by the wind means when you let external factors drive your actions instead of an internal moral compass. Ephesians 4:14 GNT Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent.