In the great canvas of life, I sometimes encounter those who wave away the concept of God as easily as one swats a pesky fly. Their worldview, rooted in their proud proclamations of scientific objectivity, feels akin to a herd of cows, contentedly chewing cud on a hillside. This life, the grass beneath their hooves, the rain on their backs, and their immediate experiences are their only realities.
Talk of realms beyond their perceptual abilities – tales of great avian voyages in the skies, far-off underwater kingdoms, or ethereal mountain tops among the clouds – are quickly dismissed as fanciful raven ravings. Though some among them entertain these stories, these tales from the farmyard, they remain resolute in their belief that their perceived reality is the only truth.
Their conviction in the mundanity of existence goes unchallenged. According to them, this existence, devoid of mysticism, is the only reality there ever was or ever will be.
Our current society, unfortunately, seems to mirror this ‘herd mentality’. The advancement of science and reason, while contributing significantly to the materialistic world, has distanced us from the spiritual realm, as noted by David Wells. The unanswerable questions of our origin and purpose are swept aside as they continue their life’s journey, head down, untroubled by horizons unseen and unheard of.
For Christians, the reality is far richer. We acknowledge the spiritual realm as the origin of the physical world, understanding that God, who is spirit, created the physical universe with His immaterial speech. Our faith teaches us that the visible world was crafted not from visible entities, but from the invisible.
As we journey through life, it’s important to reflect upon the extent to which this secular outlook may have subtly permeated our lives. Consider this: what seems more real to you – the world you can perceive, or the one you can’t? Which holds a greater reality – the visible or the invisible? Is the physical realm more ultimate than the spiritual?
Your life, your actions, and your priorities speak volumes in answering these questions. How much of your time, talents, and affection are dedicated to your faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ?
Embracing this spiritual perspective can be transformative, serving as either a revolution or a reminder. The unseen world – untouched, unmeasured, invisible – holds a grandeur, a substance, and an endurance that far surpasses the physical. Our physical reality merely orbits the immaterial, dwelling within the shadows of its profound permanence.
People of faith understand this profound inversion of the world. They value the physical but are also aware of the unseen. This worldly life, with all its transient values and desires, is demoted in favor of the world to come, the world promised by our Lord.
Through the pages of Hebrews 11, we find numerous examples of people who had faith in the unseen and staked their very existence on it. Noah, Abraham, and Moses – believed in the promises of God and acted on them, despite the seeming absurdity of their actions to those confined to earthly vision.
This world, as mesmerizing as it may seem, is transient. The imminent, the unseen, and the yet-to-be-realized spiritual world hold a greater reality. Apostle Paul deemed his heaviest sorrows as light and fleeting compared to the eternal weight of glory waiting for the faithful (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our focus should not be on the transient but on the eternal.
Our mission then, as Henry Scougal beautifully conveyed in a letter to his friend, is to anchor our minds in divine truths until they become deeply imprinted in our consciousness. Let’s strive to approach the invisible world until we are convinced of its substantial reality.
So turn your gaze upwards towards the heavens, where Christ resides. Reject the fleeting temptations of this world and focus your heart on the world to come, its glory, and above all, its God. Look upon Christ with faith until you see Him as clearly as day. Devote your life to understanding the glory that Christ suffered to bring us closer to God.
As the early church knew, even though they hadn’t seen Jesus, their love for Him was resolute. Their belief in Him brought them indescribable joy, full of glory, knowing that their faith would result in the salvation of their souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Dear readers, our journey leads us to a world unseen, a place so beautiful, it renders our current existence as if it were merely a dream.
