Taking the ultimate long view

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. -- Proverbs 29:18

Bear with me, as I've been mulling something over lately. What does it mean to have "no vision?" Other translations use the term "revelation." What is being viewed or revealed? There's a reason this observation is paired with noting the status of those who "keepeth the law."

As a parent, I spend a lot of time teaching my children to "think ahead" (something my dad was convinced I'd never do). This is a major life skill. To achieve any goal, one must break down the task and commit to reach the objective. One must also be able to imagine the possible negative outcomes of a particular course of action.

Obvious stuff? Hardly, given the current state of society. Our culture's pervaded by short attention spans and short-term thinking. Marketers advise us to "just do it." Information is consumed in easily manipulated bites, rather than coherent context. We're told to "carpe diem" to the point of mortgaging all the future "diems" to the one.

It's a matrix of thought that says "this is all there is; grab what you can and hold on." It completely rejects thoughts of eternity in favor of the here and now. Under such assumptions, it's easy to see why scripture's instructions seem a chaffing burden rather than a hedge of protection.

But that's what they are. The Father has warned us of the pitfalls inherent in our sinful nature. He knows the traps we'll be drawn towards, like a toddler to an electrical outlet, and warns us in advance. We flaunt the advice, sometimes not seeing immediate damage, and fool ourselves into thinking "we got away with it." Then one day we wake up to the chains we've forged by our behavior.

As Maximus said in the movie Gladiator, "what we do on earth echoes in eternity." He who plans financially for their old age will forego current opportunities to achieve future ones, even in the face of those who think they're not "living it up" enough. Delayed gratification has to be driven by a vision of what will be.

And so, back to the Proverb. A clear vision, a revelation--however fleeting--of what awaits us in the presence of the Father is enough to move us from resenting His laws to respecting their wisdom. It doesn't mean "becoming so heavenly minded you're no earthly good." As with any long-term project, there is work enough for today. But in the face of distractions, discouragement and disaster, the vision spurs renewed commitment. There is no longer view to take than that of eternity.

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. -- C.S. Lewis