One Eternal Relationship

All relationships will eventually come to an end; only one is for eternity - that with God. Taking a shift in perspective, we must acknowledge that all our human relationships are temporal. They end with death or as we move from one phase of life to another. If we are able to accept this truth, the question then will be "Which relationship(s) do I want to place my focus and energy on then?"

If we rent a house to live in for a month as a temporary shelter, will we unpack all our boxes of belongings and display out everything on the shelves, place all the other stuff into the cupboards etc? We will probably not take out everything and display everything because we know that in a few weeks time, we will have to repack everything into their boxes and shift again. we will treat the house as a rented place and will not develop very much emotional attachment to the place.

On the contrary, if we bought a house and moved in with the intention of living there for at least another 10 years or so, then surely, we will unpack all our belongings, decorate the house and load the cabinets with our own storage systems. We will let ourselves settle down into the house, familiarise with the neighbours and surrounding environment, infrastructure, transportation, etc. The place, neighbourhood and the house begin to grow a sentimental value in our hearts. How difficult it is to part from a neighbourhood in which we grew up in or have spent many years living in even though we may be moving to a better and more beautiful house!

In this light, it will be rather unwise to shift into a temporary shelter and unpack everything as if we were going to stay in that house permanently. Likewise, it is also unwise to shift into a permanent house and leave most things in the boxes and live that way for the many years to come. We have to give due importance to matters according to their levels of permanency. If our relationship with God is the one everlasting relationship, then shouldn't we give it far greater attention and energy than all our other relationships that are not eternal? Is there a point in labouring hard for all that ends with death and neglect the part of our lives that awaits us beyond this death?

We must, therefore, see and perceive all relationships in the light of the one eternal relationship. All temporal relationships have their share of pains and hurts. But in the light of the one eternal relationship, we can more readily accept that these pains and hurts and temporal no matter how intense they may be; they will pass us by and life will go on. And even if we are plagued by these sufferings throughout our lives, we can know for sure that they will end when we die for they are not eternal. Thus, there is no point in being too overwhelmed by all the emotions of pain, suffering and hurts. Instead, keep our focus always and only on the one eternal relationship with God, find means to deepen our understanding of Him so that our faith in Him may increase alongside with our love for Him, knowing that He is our one, true and final goal. If we are able to accept this, then the inevitable question we will ask is "So, how do we build this eternal relationship?" (to be continued...)

Wednesday 16 March 2011
8.52am