Day7: Life Is a Temporary

 Life Is a Temporary

Assignment

Lord, remind me how brief my time on 

earth will be. Remind me that my days are

numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.

Psalm 39:4 (NLT) 

I am here on earth for just a little while.

Psalm 119:19 (TEV)

Life on earth is a temporary assignment.

The Bible is full of metaphors that teach about the brief,

temporary, transient nature of life on earth. Life is described as

a mist, a fast runner, a breath, and a wisp of smoke. The Bible says,

“For we were born but yesterday. . . . Our days on earth are as

transient as a shadow.” 1

To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two

truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief.

Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won’t be here

long, so don’t get too attached. Ask God to help you see life on

earth as he sees it. David prayed, “Lord, help me to realize how brief

my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a

moment more.” 2

What on Earth Am I Here For?

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Repeatedly the Bible compares life on earth to temporarily

living in a foreign country. This is not your permanent home or

final destination. You’re just passing through, just visiting earth.

The Bible uses terms like alien, pilgrim, foreigner, stranger,

visitor, and traveler to describe our brief stay on earth. David

said, “I am but a foreigner here on earth,” 3 and Peter explained,

“If you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents

on earth.” 4

In California, where I live, many people have moved from

other parts of the world to work here, but they keep their

citizenship with their home country. They are required to carry a

visitor registration card (called a “green card”), which allows

them to work here even though they aren’t citizens. Christians

should carry spiritual green cards to remind us that our

citizenship is in heaven. God says his children are to think

differently about life from the way unbelievers do. “All they think

about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where

the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” 5 Real believers understand that there is

far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet.

Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven. When

you grasp this truth, you will stop worrying about “having it all”

on earth. God is very blunt about

the danger of living for the here and

now and adopting the values,

priorities, and lifestyles of the world

around us. When we flirt with the

temptations of this world, God calls

it spiritual adultery. The Bible says,

“You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting

with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and

his way.” 6

Imagine if you were asked by your country to be an

ambassador to an enemy nation. You would probably have to

learn a new language and adapt to some customs and cultural

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Your identity is in eternity, and

your homeland is heaven. 

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differences in order to be polite and to accomplish your mission.

As an ambassador you would not be able to isolate yourself from

the enemy. To fulfill your mission, you would have to have

contact and relate to them.

But suppose you became so comfortable with this foreign

country that you fell in love with it, preferring it to your

homeland. Your loyalty and commitment would

change. Your role as an ambassador would be

compromised. Instead of representing your

home country, you would start acting like the

enemy. You’d be a traitor.

The Bible says, “We are Christ’s ambassadors.” 7

Sadly, many Christians have betrayed their King

and his kingdom. They have foolishly concluded that because

they live on earth, it’s their home. It is not. The Bible is clear:

“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy

in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.” 8 God

warns us to not get too attached to what’s around us because it is

temporary. We’re told, “Those in frequent contact with the things of

the world should make good use of them without becoming attached

to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away.” 9

Compared with other centuries, life has never been easier for

much of the Western world. We are constantly entertained,

amused, and catered to. With all the fascinating attractions,

mesmerizing media, and enjoyable experiences available today, it’s

easy to forget that the pursuit of happiness is not what life is

about. Only as we remember that life is a test, a trust, and a

temporary assignment will the appeal of these things lose their

grip on our lives. We are preparing for something even better.

“The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things

we can’t see now will last forever.” 10

The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why, as

followers of Jesus, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection

in this world.11 It also explains why some of God’s promises seem

What on Earth Am I Here For?

49

DAY SIX:

LIFE IS A

TEMPORARY

ASSIGNMENT 

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unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some

circumstances seem unfair. This is not the end of the story.

In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God

allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and

dissatisfaction in life—longings that will never be fulfilled on this

side of eternity. We’re not completely happy here because we’re

not supposed to be! Earth is not our final home; we were created

for something much better.

A fish would never be happy living on land, because it was

made for water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn’t

allowed to fly. You will never feel

completely satisfied on earth,

because you were made for more.

You will have happy moments here,

but nothing compared with what

God has planned for you.

Realizing that life on earth is just

a temporary assignment should

radically alter your values. Eternal values, not temporal ones,

should become the deciding factors for your decisions. As C. S.

Lewis observed, “All that is not eternal is eternally useless.” The

Bible says, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is

unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is

eternal.” 12

It is a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is

material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The

abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and

faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even

in ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.13

Paul was faithful, yet he ended up in prison. John the Baptist

was faithful, but he was beheaded. Millions of faithful people

have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come to the

end of life with nothing to show for it. But the end of life is not

the end!

The Purpose-Driven Life

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Earth is not our final home; 

we were created for 

something much better.

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In God’s eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who

achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who

treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve

faithfully, expecting their promised reward in

eternity. The Bible says this about God’s

Hall of Fame: “All these great people died in

faith. They did not get the things that God

promised his people, but they saw them coming

far in the future and were glad. They said they

were like visitors and strangers on earth. . . . they were

waiting for a better country—a heavenly country. So God is not

ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for

them.” 14 Your time on earth is not the complete story of your life.

You must wait until heaven for the rest of the chapters. It takes

faith to live on earth as a foreigner.

An old story is often repeated of a retiring missionary coming

home to America on the same boat as the president of the United

States. Cheering crowds, a military band, a red carpet, banners,

and the media welcomed the president home, but the missionary

slipped off the ship unnoticed. Feeling self-pity and resentment,

he began complaining to God. Then God gently reminded him,

“But my child, you’re not home yet.”

You will not be in heaven two seconds before you cry out,

“Why did I place so much importance on things that were so

temporary? What was I thinking? Why did I waste so much time,

energy, and concern on what wasn’t going to last?”

When life gets tough, when you’re overwhelmed with doubt,

or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the effort,

remember that you are not home yet. At death you won’t leave

home—you’ll go home.

What on Earth Am I Here For?

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The Purpose-Driven Life

52

Day Six

Thinking about My Purpose

Point to Ponder: This world is not my home.

Verse to Remember: “So we fix our eyes not on what is

seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Question to Consider: How should the fact that life

on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way

I am living right now?

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