We have a choice.

We can play out the story of our lives on one of two stages – the temporal stage or the eternal one.

As believers we often get caught out because we attempt to play out our lives on both. It is like attempting to climb two trees because we have two legs.

God is at work in our lives – we are indeed His workmanship as attested by Ephesians 2:10. But His working in our lives is not erratic, unplanned or sporadic. He works to a plan and a design. He is intelligent, intentional, persistent and unstoppable in His labour in our lives, never giving up on us.

God’s design and purpose for our lives is not to simply prosper and profit us materially in and by the standards of a world that is in the sway of the evil one and in a kingdom that is quite literally passing away.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.   1 John 5:19

… everything that belongs to the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.    1 John 2:15-17

For this world in its current form is passing away.    1 Corinthians 7:31

Everything that this world represents and stands for is opposite to, contrary and definitely not from God the Father but from the evil one under whose sway the world operates.

It would be irresponsible, uncaring and short-sighted of God if all that He were to do is look to prosper us with worldly wealth and material wellbeing only.

It would be inconsistent with the character of God and His truth if His calling and purpose upon our lives was restricted to or even wholly or otherwise influenced and dominated by the agenda of this world that is passing away and entirely under the sway of the evil one. His whole integrity would be at stake if that were the case.

It would be a betrayal and surrendering us into the hands of the enemy and his influence if all God cared about and His calling and purpose in our lives was determined by this world and its definition of success.

We ourselves would be the most pitied if our trust and hope in God was for this earth only and limited to nothing other than our material wellbeing and welfare.

God has no interest whatsoever in building our lives in and for a kingdom that He knows is in the hands of the evil one and is without future. God’s plans for us are indeed to prosper and profit us but in the kingdom that is sure to last and shall not be shaken and with its values. Not the values and standards of this world which are transient and temporal, without future or permanence.

For this reason God’s calling and purpose upon our lives is inextricably, inseparably and wholly intertwined with His kingdom that has no end (Isaiah 9:7). God is working in our lives building His kingdom in and through us. His plans and purposes for us are not independent and unconnected to His everlasting kingdom but part and parcel of the same. It is this kingdom that we are not only called to be part of but partners with in its advance and coming glory. It is a kingdom that shall not be shaken nor destroyed – ever.  It is an honour to be part of this unshakeable kingdom that shall never know destruction.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace…   Hebrews 12:28

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,   Daniel 2:44

This is the nature of the kingdom God is building in, through and with us – what an honour, privilege and joy it is to be a part of this glorious and unending kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

God’s calling and purpose in our lives then is not about making money and being successful in terms of wealth creation as a goal in itself but about advancing His kingdom in, through and with our lives. It’s about getting out and taking our places in the mission field of God’s purposes, it’s about fulfilling our God designed destinies on earth – walking in the good works that God prepared in advance for each one of us (Ephesians 2:10). It’s about discovering where our frontline is, which walk of life God has called and assigned us to represent Him and his Kingdom. It’s about you stepping into and in the direction of your calling and destiny on earth. It’s not about building and perpetuating a kingdom that will pass away through the narrow perspective and lens of success according to the terms of this world but infiltrating the world with the kingdom that shall never be destroyed.

It’s about taking the light into darkness, it’s about bringing Christ and life to people in every walk of life being the ambassadors that Christ has called us to.

And these walks of life or trades or professions are but platforms and springboards for infiltration and penetration into enemy territory, so to speak, platforms and avenues to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation to the lost and dying generation, your generation. Our professions and trades in this life are not in themselves our callings but channels and platforms of its execution. We are called into them to serve a higher purpose, a greater cause than we ever imagined.

Our destiny is tied up with the agenda and advance of God’s eternal kingdom in our time and generation. Let us not lose sight of our destiny, a destiny of eternal proportions and with eternal ramifications. It is to our advantage and privilege that our destiny is inextricably tied up with that of the kingdom that shall never be destroyed.  We must always keep that in mind as we decide which stage we play out the story of our life and not get carried away with the short term gain and business of this world that is passing away.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.        2 Corinthians 5:20

It is the value of our lives on the eternal stage that will ultimately count and not the here and now only, the temporal. We are called and given the opportunity to live our life on the eternal stage and not on the temporal one only. What we build on this temporal stage only will disappear with the disappearance of the stage while what we build on the eternal stage now will remain forever no matter what.

If you allow the terms of your life to be set and dictated by, for lack of a better term, the secular only, i.e. the temporal, you are definitely putting you calling and purpose on earth and your reward in heaven at risk.

When we are in and operate within God’s plan for our lives we are at our most productive – there is no place else where you could be more fruitful; we are fulfilled the most – there is no other thing that could give us more satisfaction and positioned the best to receive the highest reward in heaven. For it is our faithfulness to what we have been called to and given that counts towards and guarantees our reward.

Which of the two stages you play out your life on will determine how fulfilled you are in your life now and how decorated you will be in the life to come, in eternity. Not only that, but it will determine your usefulness and productivity in the kingdom and ultimately how much you bring glory to God with your life.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.    John 17:3

We have to take on the divine perspective, the eternal outlook.

You get to choose which stage you play out the story of your life on – eternal or temporal.

The stage is set. The choice is yours.