The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards, is credited with the quote, “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” Whether he said those exact words, his commitment to living with an eternal perspective is evident in his preaching and many of his famous resolutions. This describes how we should live every day of our lives. There is nothing on earth worthy of our attention.
Nothing here lasts, and we’ll take nothing from this place when we leave (1 Timothy 6:7). Our every thought, word, and deed should be with our eyes toward Heaven. Think of how your life might change if you decide to pray with Edwards, “Lord stamp eternity on my eyes.” I believe such a prayer is consistent with the teaching of the New Testament and worthy of our consideration.
Our time here is short, and the older I get, the more obvious this becomes. Looking back, I can’t believe the time I’ve wasted on things having no eternal value. Only what we do for Christ counts for anything (1 Corinthians 3:12-15), yet we spend a minuscule percentage of our time on furthering His Kingdom. Once we’ve finished our daily Bible reading and prayer time, we spend very little of the rest of our day doing things that glorify God or build His Kingdom.
Compare what drives you to a few paraphrased resolutions of Jonathan Edwards: I commit to never live for myself, but to live for God alone, recognizing that my life is not my own but belongs to Him (resolution 43-Romans 14:8); I’m resolved to always act in ways that, when I look back on my life, I will be glad I chose (resolution 50-2 Corinthians 5:10); I will live as if I have already seen the joys of heaven and the pains of hell, so that I will consider both in all my decisions (resolution 55-Philippians 3:13-14). What’s even more impressive is Edwards made these resolutions as a young man of only eighteen or nineteen years old. How do your motivations stack up against these?
Oh, that God would stamp eternity on my eyes! Paul admonishes us to never focus on the things of this world, but to always be looking forward to the world to come (2 Corinthians 4:18; Colossians 3:1-2). The Apostle John tells us we cannot love the things of this world and God at the same time (1 John 2:15-16). Jesus Himself taught we should concern ourselves with treasure in Heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). It makes no sense for followers of Jesus to focus on the things of this world. We must be looking towards eternity at all times.
What are the practical implications of living with eternity stamped on our eyes? No longer will we worry about what anyone on earth thinks about us. How much money we have becomes irrelevant. The way we speak to our spouse, friends, and even strangers will change in dramatic ways. Everything we do and say will be to build up others (Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:11) and glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our problems will not disappear, but we will care about them a lot less (Philippians 4:6-7). To live only thinking of eternity relieves us of the stresses and anxieties of this world. Most important of all, to live in such a manner is pleasing to God and brings honor to His name. We will stop worrying about all we cannot keep and focus only on the One we cannot lose (Matthew 16:25; Philippians 3:7-8).
Lord, stamp eternity on my eyes so I may live this one and only life for you, Jesus. Everything else is just garbage. I have so little time and more slips away every day. Dear God, please let me live every moment for Your glory and Your honor.