“The single greatest contributor to our inability to see money and possessions in their true light is our persistent failure to see our present lives through the lens of eternity.”
Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions and Eternity revised and updated (Tyndale: Wheaton, 2003) 108.
I wear reading glasses. I keep them on a lanyard around my neck so they are always with me. They also catch a lot of dust and get dirty as a result, so I often get to clean them. There is nothing better than looking through clear lenses when it is time to read. Imagine having lenses that could help us see everything, including money and possessions, in light of eternity. How would such glasses change how we live? What would change for you?
Paul’s words to the Christians in Rome recorded in Romans 12:1-2 ring in my mind on this point. When we choose not to be conformed to the world but transformed by renewing our minds with truth, we are able to literally “scrutinize” or in plain terms “see” or “discern” what is the good and acceptable will of God. Want to see things clearly in light of eternity? Look through the lens of Scripture rather than culture!