Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 before reading the devotional below.
I’m tired. My body is worn out. But it won’t be like this forever. Paul uses some amazing metaphors in today’s passage — your body is a tent that’s going to be taken down some day. Our eternal bodies will be like a new kind of clothing. My favorite: our dying bodies will be “swallowed up by life.”
What would it mean for life to swallow you? I imagine jumping into a deep ocean or floating in the best kind of dream imaginable. The more metaphors required to describe a thing, the more beautifully complex it is. God’s kingdom will be awesome, but it’s not the most important end goal.
Here’s your freedom for today:
You don’t have to wait for eternal life to begin.
Paul tells that whether we are in these old, broken down bodies or whether we are shining in an eternal home, our real goal is to please God. That’s it. Not encounter him. Not experience him. Not make it to his kingdom. Please him. When we make our spirituality about our awesome experiences, we lose our purpose. Don’t get me wrong, an encounter with God is life-changing and amazing. You can and should enjoy his presence. But in the end, it’s not about you or me. It’s about him. Today, make it about him again. Worship him. Thank him. Get swallowed up by him. Live for him. You can start right now. That’s what it’s about from now to eternity.