Where is Your Focus?

Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

Looking back to verses 17-19, Paul boldly exhorts the Philippian believers to follow his example, and then he warns them of those who walk a different way because they are the “enemies of the cross of Christ.” What are these people like?

Interestingly, Paul starts by telling us their end: destruction. He then goes on to describe how they live: “whose God is their belly”-anything that they want to do, they do to fulfill their immediate desires; “whose glory is their shame”-what should be shameful to them, they actually glory in! I can think of many people celebrated on television who fit this description. As Paul started this verse explaining their end, he ends this description of the enemies of the cross by telling their beginning (why they live this way): “who mind earthly things.” They live as if this earthly life is all that there is. It would make sense to just eat, drink, and be merry if there were no eternity to be mindful of. Paul in I Corinthians 15, speaking of the resurrection of Christ, says how miserable we would be if hope in Christ was “in this life only.” But the reality is that hope in Christ is NOT for this life only: there is an eternity to be mindful of!

Now let’s look at the contrast in verse 20, “Our conversation is in heaven. . . .” Those of us who know the Lord should be living each day in the light of eternity. We should be making choices each day that lay up treasures in heaven. I recently read a story about a wealthy farmer who was proudly showing an old evangelist all of his property and buildings. The evangelist responded, “And, sir, what do you have built in heaven?” This was a question to which the wealthy farmer had no good answer. We must not let our minds become focused on the here and now; we must not start thinking of this earth as our home. Though we are here on this earth for a time, our affection and loyalty must be to our heavenly home. America has many foreign workers whose love and affection is still with their homeland; when they earn their wages, they send that money back “home” to their families. That is where their hearts and minds are each day as they go about their work. How much more should we, as children of God, be focused on our eternal home as we go about our work each day!

Living with eternity in view will affect how we use our money, how we use our time, how we respond to difficulty, how we raise our children, and so many other things. Ironically, laying up treasures in heaven makes this present life so much sweeter too! Where is your focus today?