I have several tasks to complete before the end of the work day. I have other things I’d like to accomplish after work. To one degree or another, I’d consider them important. Of course, what’s important is relative.

I consider working out to be important. And I’m working on a book project, so it would be good to make some progress tonight. Those two items may not be important to you, but other things are. You might need to get your house cleaned, laundry done or coach your child’s soccer team.

We all have important things to accomplish each day, but is there any kind of objective measure for determining what’s most important? Each and every day? For all of us?

I think there is.

Currently, I’m 48 years old. The average life expectancy for a male living in the United States is around 75. So if I make it to the average, I’ve got about 27 more years. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like a very long time to me.

But how about if you’re only 20 years old? That would give you another 55 years. That’s a little better. And if you’re a female, you can tack on another 3 years, so you get 58!

Of course, all of that assumes you and I aren’t people who actually bring down the average. As a friend of mine used to say, “Half the people you meet are below average.”

So regardless of whether you have another 27 years, 58 years or some other number–none of us really have that much time left. Oh, I know it can feel like forever when you’re in a class you don’t like, a marriage you don’t like or a long line at the post office, but the truth is this life is brief. At best.

We especially don’t have much time when compared to much longer periods of time. Like forever for example.

Forever is a pretty long time. And the Bible is clear–we’re going to live forever. Those who have received the forgiveness that Christ offers have the promise of living forever with Him in heaven.

So what will we do in heaven? How are we going to occupy our time for millions and millions and millions…of years?

First and foremost, we will live in friendship with God. He created us for this purpose. He made us to enjoy a love relationship with Himself. In the context of that relationship, we will grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him.

We will use our God-given gifts and talents to serve Him. I actually think we’ll be surprised at the number of gifts, abilities and talents we have now that will continue into eternity. I tend to think those with teaching skills will still teach. Those who like to cook and entertain will still do it in heaven. People with musical ability will help lead us in singing and worship, which is something else we’ll do.

We will also live in community with others. Heaven will be a place filled with people from every tribe, tongue and nation. We will enjoy getting to know others as we live, serve, eat and worship together.

So a couple hundred years from now…and a couple million years from now…and a few hundred trillion years from now–we’ll be living in friendship with God, enjoying His love and loving Him in return. We will be growing in our relationship with Him. We’ll still be learning and experiencing new things about Him. We will be using our gifts and talents to serve Him. We will be worshiping the only one worthy of being forever praised. And we’ll be doing all of this in community with others.

If that’s what’s important in eternity, then it strikes me that those are the most important things now.

Sure, we have some earthly concerns now that we won’t have then, but we can’t ever let those things become such distractions that we lose sight of what’s most important. In 2 Corinthian 4:16-18, Paul wrote:

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 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.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only seeing what we can see, but what we can see is temporary. It’s passing away. All of it. The cars. The houses. The lawns. The toys. The bank accounts. The clothes. And these bodies in which we live. It’ll all be gone in 27 years. Or maybe 58. But not much longer than that. For any of us.

What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. And most important. Today.