Weekly Wisdom

Every relationship is based or founded on something. For example, some relationships are based on the fact that both people work for the same company, attend the same school, or sharing a similar interest in a hobby or sport.

With all of relationships, once a common bond is no longer present, the relationship will tend to deteriorate. For example, once a child graduates from high school and moves off to college, he or she will probably lose most of the relationships formed with classmates, because school is no longer a common bond and thus there is nothing holding the relationship together.

However, if your relationships are formed around a common belief in Christ, then no matter what else happens in life, as long as that common bond is still present those relationships will last.

Thus, it is clear why 2 Corinthians 6:14 instructs believers not to marry unbelievers: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

If you want to maintain lasting, stable relationships, they must be Christ-centered.

The New Testament author James observes that life is very temporary compared to eternity: What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).

Not only is life temporary, but everything you stockpile in this life is also lost when you die. Several millennia ago, Job rightly observed: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart (Job 1:21).

Since life is fleeting and possessions are worthless at the end of life, Jesus wisely instructs us not to amass treasures on earth: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).

Instead of spending your life to build up things that are like the morning dew, use your life to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven—lasting treasures. How do we do that? By glorifying Christ in life and in death.

The Apostle Paul demonstrates in Philippians 3:7-8 his passion for living life to do what lasts into eternity: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Paul willingly exchanged earthly profit, which doesn't last, for eternal gain (see 1 Corinthians 2:2).

Don't spend your life to gain things that are no more permanent than mist. Use your brief voice to magnify and exclaim the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7; Psalm 90:14; 1 Corinthians 10:31). You have... Only one life, it will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last.