The Future

The Church is always reminding us that we do not have any guarantees for the future. We may not live to see tomorrow, let alone decades from now. We are taught as Christians to focus on today, so we are prepared for whenever God calls us home. But we can’t ignore the future.

Brethren, love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.

1^st Corinthians 13:4-13;14:1-5

In today’s reading, Saint Paul reminds us that today is only a glimpse of what will be in the future. Who we are today is not who we will be in the future. It isn’t who we were yesterday. If we understand Saint Paul’s reminder, we know that who we are today is only part of the story.

The problem with being ‘today’ focused is that we think either we have achieved everything there is to achieve or understand everything there is to understand. Knowledge will pass away. What we know today will be history tomorrow. It may even be proven scientifically incorrect.

While we must live as if today is our last day to prepare for eternity, we must also understand that we are only looking in “a mirror dimly”. There will be a day when we see ourselves and God “fact to face.” That is our future. That is what we should be focused on today and every day.

Rather than looking in the mirror and thinking we’re ready, we should look in the mirror and recognize how much further we still must travel to be with God. The point of today’s passage from Saint Paul isn’t about today VS the future. It is about today preparing us for the future.

Take time today to study your reflection. Allow Saint Paul’s words today to inspire you to see how much further you must travel. THEN, remind yourself you only have today to prepare for the journey. Recognize that everything you see in your reflection will pass away, everything.

Everything passes away on this Earth, because something better is coming. But we cannot be ready for what is coming if we only care about what ‘is’ today. Use what you have today to bring you closer to Christ, not further. The only way to move closer to Him is to step away from you.