Don't they? Classically, this is the time when people tend to reflect on the year gone by, to mull over mistakes that were made, decision that weren't made, missed opportunities and the like. To be honest I already knew what things I had or hadn't done before the year was over. I'm more about moving forward than looking back now. Sure there are regrets, and mistakes, and foolish decisions, but there was also a trip round the entire world (!), excitement, fun, new friends, uncertain times (but safe in the knowledge that God knew where it was all going), provision and comfort: so I suppose it all balances out, and to be honest, none of it is going to directly affect the future. It's just there, it happened: I think I learnt from it all, but only time will tell that I suppose. What is really important is the right now, what I'm doing, right now. I think there's two ways of "living in the here and now", as it were, taught to me when I was younger but something I've always remembered and hold onto. You can either assume that there's nothing to come, nothing to be really eternally responsible for, and nothing to look forward to, so live exactly the way you want to, because, well, it's fun and it doesn't really matter. A bit extreme I know, but to some degree or another, a lot of us do it. Some of us are maybe more sensitive than others, or seem to have had a few more morals drummed into us, but humans everywhere enjoy doing what's "right for them". Eat, drink and be merry, as it were, for tomorrow....who knows?
The second option given to me was to live with an eternal mindset. All of us I believe are eternal beings because we have the capability of considering the eternal, and this is because we were made to last. Not physically, of course, at least not on this earth, but originally we were made to endure eternally. But this eternity doesn't hold much hope for us. Even if we can admit to believing in the possibility of heaven, it doesn't actually excite us because we don't really know what it means, or what's in store. Even a lot of Christians I know focus on the here and now without considering heaven much at all, which whilst understandable I think means we miss out on so much of reality. The Bible says there is another reality to come, a real and physical one, where God will declare His reign over everything. He will be God. And we can be there because of Jesus, with confidence, a hope of eternity in perfection assured. For a lot of people, they go too far and don't think about anything but heaven! They miss the point somewhat. Heaven is not just something to look forward to, but something that should transform our lives. I can confidently give myself to Jesus everyday, and live His way whatever the cost because I know where I'm going, and it's going to be great. I forget what was behind, good or bad, and I keep moving forward. To be eternally minded is to live in the here and now in the light of heaven to come. I don't think it's possible to be excited about my life now without heaven - which is the eternal consequence of trusting in Jesus' sacrifice and making Him Lord. Equally I don't think I could be real if all I thought of was heaven and detached myself from the difficulties of reality.
This post turned out rather differently to what I imagined at the start....
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