How we all can prepare now to play well the inevitable endgame
By Dean Collins
I was in the chess club in junior high school, a clue to the fact that I was then one of the introverted, shy types mostly hanging out in the library with what some might now call the nerds. Learning to play the guitar in ninth grade was a game-changer for developing friendships and finding girlfriends, but I digress. The point of the chess club was that I was introduced to the idea of the endgame. It is the description of the final stages of a game of chess. This term is not exclusive to chess but often describes the final stages of making a business deal or succeeding at diplomatic negotiations with government leaders.
Tending the ‘tent’
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 has me considering how many ways we try to avoid the endgame of our physical existence. Paul calls our physical body a tent. The human body is our earthly home. And just as homeowners usually want to take care of their homes, we work to keep our physical bodies.
I have a project currently at my residence. We are renovating and expanding a bathroom and bedroom. New flooring, new fixtures, new windows, new paint, and on and on. Wanting to maintain or increase the value of our home means we make investments in its maintenance. I know I won’t own the home forever, so I try to keep it in good shape so I can sell it to the person who will enjoy it next. But there is nothing I can do to make my house last forever. Physical structures eventually have endgames.
When it comes to the human body we spend billions of dollars every year trying to lose weight, add muscle, and treat diseases. We also spend billions on clothes and cosmetics to look as good as we possibly can, even though every year we get a little weaker and a little more wrinkled. We simply cannot preserve the tent. The human body wears out.
Paul describes the human experience saying we groan, longing for the eternal body we will one day enjoy. Until then, burdens and pressures will come as a part of our life of faith here on earth.
Walking by faith
As I read this passage this morning, I thought of so many friends who now enjoy being at home with the Lord. As believers, when we gather to celebrate the life of a loved one whose tent finally collapsed, the pastor reminds us of the absence of suffering our loved one now enjoys. In times of loss it is comforting to have someone tell us the truth we know from Scripture concerning the eternal state of our loved one. But I found it especially comforting, even joyful, to consider the list of friends who are today living without pain, without anxiety, without sadness, and with the fullness of God’s presence in every moment.
Obviously, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5 are for us who remain in our temporary dwelling place of the human body. We are the ones who need reminding of the final stages of glory we will one day enjoy. We are the ones who walk by faith and not by sight. We are the ones who must be of good courage as we would rather be with our loved ones who have departed. But Paul reminds us that as we wait, we should not do so passively.
Embracing life
Paul’s encouragement to us is that while we are here we can aim to please God. I have watched several of my friends who have lost a spouse, a parent, or a sibling in recent years discover new clarity about their lives. Yes, they grieve, but not without hope. Every day I watch these friends as they take on new passion for living the life of Christ visibly and with excitement. It didn’t happen all at once, nor should it. Grief is a journey. But my friends are also teaching me by their example that we must be good stewards of the time God has granted us.
I did 30 minutes of exercise this morning. I showered and dressed for the day. And I read from God’s Word, prayed, meditated, and wrote this devotional to remind myself and you that we can embrace the gift of life for as long as we have it. We must aim to please God by fulfilling the calling he has given us. And to do that we probably need to do our job patching the tent by taking care of ourselves. We care for ourselves so that the light of Jesus might shine brightly in us until the glory of the Lord illuminates and transforms us with immortality.
Lord, remind us of the joy and glory our departed loved ones share with you today. We long to see them and to dwell with you forever. But until you call us home, teach us to live by faith and not by sight. Teach us to live and love boldly by the power of your Holy Spirit in us. We aim to please you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 ESV
Exercise photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash. Home remodel photo by DGLimages at istockphotos.com.
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