The deception in our lives most often comes from worldly thinking, also known as "horizontal thinking." God wants our primary focus to be on heaven, not this earth. This takes continual energy as virtually all of our experiences are related to this life. God provides us with many earthly parallels to teach us that long-term thinking is profitable.

We need to make necessary changes to create habits of long-term heavenly thinking. A pastor, Tom Horton, shared in a sermon decades ago to ask two questions in response to life events. "What can I learn about God from this event?" "What does it teach me about my relationship with God?"

When people do not work hard enough or spend so much money they do not have savings, the result is stress and difficulty. When people eat too much and do not exercise over an extended period of time, they become unhealthy and it can be physically taxing just performing everyday functions.

Eating in an unhealthy manner or spending money on non-essentials is enjoyable. However if one lives only for today's pleasures, they pay for it in the future.  There's no way out of the pain. Either the pain is self-inflicted through discipline or becomes the consequence of an earlier lack of discipline.

There's no reason for disciplining oneself if there is no future benefit. So, when one exercises or says no to that extra helping, It is because they are looking to the future and are doing what's best for that future self.  

●    APPLYING THE PARALLEL: Long-term thinking or lack thereof is what separates those who take care of their body and are responsible with money from those who aren't. Even the ants think ahead. (Prov 30:24-25) That same thinking process when applied to spiritual things puts us in line with God's desire for us. We follow God's will for our lives today because we do not just live for this life. We live for eternity. 

Health and money are two earthly things where long-term thinking is profitable.  What is the result of short-term earthly thinking? If you have short-term thinking, why do you think you haven't made past decisions giving thought to the future? What changes can you make to think longer term?  Other than asking yourself the questions above, how can you take time each day, throughout the day, to think about Heaven more? 

●   "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;" (Prov 30:24-25)

●    Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-2)

●      Therefore we do not lose heart. 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. (II Cor 4:16-18)

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