My Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

Posted On May 15, 2022

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding”

Proverbs 3:13 NIV

My son just graduated from the college where I teach, and while it’s exciting to cheer on all of our graduates every year, this year’s ceremony was uniquely special for me. So in honor of his accomplishment, I have chosen a graduation theme for this week’s post. We won’t hear Pomp and Circumstance or put on caps and gowns, but we will hear some wise words of advice from Christian scholars as we prepare to walk into our future . . .

At the university where I used to teach, the university president told the same joke every year at graduation: As he began his remarks in preparation for conferring degrees, he declared that we were there to honor the students for their accomplishments, especially those graduating cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, and also those graduating Thank the Laud-y! While he was just being funny, he’s also not wrong. We should thank the Lord for all He has blessed us with, including our education. But beyond our earthly blessings, we should thank Him for the gift of eternal life He offers to all who are willing to accept it. When we place our faith in Christ, believing He saved us from death and sin through His sacrifice on the cross, we receive His grace and begin a new journey in our lives: a journey that begins on earth but ultimately leads to heaven. So like recent grads, we Christians have a bright future ahead of us — a very bright future!

But before we are sent off into the world, we would be wise to listen to some advice from others who’ve come before us. And we need to remember that Christian teachings are more than just interesting ideas to be studied. Our textbook, the Bible, is not an ordinary book. It was transcribed by human beings, but God Himself is the author. As God’s Word, it is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV) and has the power to transform us. How exactly this happens is beyond human understanding, or at least beyond my understanding, but what I do know is this: The Holy Spirit revealed God’s truth to those called to record it, and since then He has been guiding all of us to pass on what we have learned. So this week I will share some inspiring words from Scripture and from the writings of Christian authors. And I hope their insights will speak to your heart, enlighten your mind, and uplift your soul as they have for me!

“Doctrine is, of course, an intellectual pursuit. . . . But knowledge of doctrine is much more than a cerebral enterprise. Doctrine engages the whole person. . . .
So what shall we say when we ponder the doctrine of revelation? At the least, we will stand in awe that God has chosen to reveal what is often beyond physical perception, and that persons have conveyed these insights from one generation to the next.”

J. Ellsworth Kalas, Christian Believer

I Saw a Light from Heaven

“I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.”

Acts 26:13 NIV

The first Christian scholar we will hear from is the Apostle Paul (also called Saul). His testimony is an amazing example of the power of Jesus to transform our lives. When we encounter the glory of the living Christ, we are deeply and profoundly changed. Here is Paul’s story:

“Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

“You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.”

“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.  About noon . . . as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.  And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

“And so . . . I obeyed that vision from heaven. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

~Galatians 1:11-16, Acts 26:12-23 NLT

Paul saw the light, literally, and it completely changed his life. His encounter with Christ gave him a new mission and a new purpose: Jesus told him to tell others what he had seen and to be His servant and witness to the world. The fact that we are reading his story today as part of Scripture demonstrates what God can do through someone willing to obey Him. A tiny sect in a small corner of the planet has grown into a worldwide Church. As members of it, we are living proof of the power of God to accomplish His will. When we let Christ transform our lives, we become valuable workers in God’s Kingdom and we will be amazed at what God can accomplish through us!

Paul was called to share God’s light with others. We are called to do the same.

“I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.”

Acts 26:16 NLT

In This World, You Will Have Trouble

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

Jesus calls us to do His work, but He never promised smooth sailing. In fact, He promises quite the opposite: In this world we will have trouble. It’s a given. So we’ve got to be prepared to face it. How do we do this? By adjusting our perspective. Let’s hear from Randy Alcorn:

“In this world of suffering and evil, I have a profound and abiding hope, and faith for the future — not because I follow a set of religious rules to make me better, but because for over forty years I’ve know a real Person, and today I know Him better than ever. Through inconceivable self-sacrifice, He has touched me deeply, given me a new heart, and utterly transformed my life.

“Some people can’t believe God would create a world in which people would suffer so much. Isn’t it astonishing that God would create a world in which no one would suffer more than He? His physical suffering was horrible, but His anguish in taking our sin on Himself was far worse (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). That God willingly, with ancient premeditation, intentionally endured the cross for us is utterly stunning. Whenever you feel tempted to ask God ‘Why did you do this to me?’ look at the cross and ask, ‘Why did you do that for me?'”

~Randy Alcorn, Seeing the Unseen

Look at the cross. When we are faced with struggles and problems in this world, we can look at the cross and remember what Jesus has done for us. When we focus on Him instead of the hardships we are dealing with, we receive His peace and His comfort. As we get to know Him better and better, we feel His love and His presence more and more. We gain stronger faith. We feel deeper joy. We display confident hope that our future is bright. It’s all about perspective. We can choose to stare at the darkness, or we can lift our eyes to heaven and gaze into the light.

“I want to stay in the habit of ‘glancing’ at my problems and ‘gazing’ at the Lord.”

Joni Eareckson Tada

We will have trouble in this world. Jesus said so. But He also said we don’t have to be defeated by it because He has overcome the world. Randy Alcorn reminds us that keeping our focus on Christ is crucial. Even in good circumstances, we will never be fulfilled by what the world has to offer:

“No matter how strong the body and how positive the circumstances, a crushed spirit will never experience joy. Perspective is what makes the spirit soar like an eagle even when the body is ravaged by accident, disease, and age. A right attitude carries you through bad circumstances and poor health.

“If we have no eternal future as resurrected people living under the benevolent rule of King Jesus, then our present sufferings will ultimately have no value. If we have such a future, however, then no present suffering — regardless of its scope — will prove worthless. In fact, such sufferings are a means to an end: incalculable future goodness.”

~Randy Alcorn, Seeing the Unseen

To me, one of the most amazing things about God is the way He can take anything — absolutely anything — and use it for good. When we offer everything we have and all that we are to Him, He can apply every bit of it to His plan for our lives and for His Kingdom. He can transform the bad things and make the good things even better. He doesn’t waste anything. We may not see how he can use it all right now, but He can. He has purposes we can’t even begin to understand that last into eternity.

So Jesus says, “Take heart!” Because He has overcome all the sin and suffering in the world, everything we endure in this life will be put to good use. Nothing we face now can dim the light of God’s glory. Someday we will understand. But for now, we can have the courage to shine even in tough circumstances because we know the glory that awaits us!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Romans 8:18 ESV

A New Life Has Begun!

“At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

I gave the benediction at my high school graduation. I don’t remember much about what I said, but I do remember this one line: We will never be the same. This is especially true for us as Christians. Encountering Christ changes us, profoundly and eternally. We are new beings, no longer of this world. We become what C. S. Lewis describes as “new men”:

“Until we rise and follow Christ we are still parts of Nature, still in the womb of our great mother. Her pregnancy has been long and painful and anxious, but it has reached its climax. The great moment has come. . . .

“On this view the thing has happened: the new step has been taken and is being taken. Already the new men are dotted here and there all over the earth. Some, as I have admitted, are still hardly recognisable: but others can be recognised. Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off.

“They are, I say, recognisable; but you must know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of ‘religious people’ which you have formed from your general reading. They do not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other men do, but they need you less. . . .

“They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from. When you have recognised one of them, you will recognise the next one much more easily. And I strongly suspect . . . that they recognise one another immediately and infallibly, across every barrier of colour, sex, class, age, and even of creeds. In that way, to become holy is rather like joining a secret society. To put it at the very lowest, it must be great fun.”

~C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Our old lives are gone forever, replaced by new lives in Christ. But do we live like it? I confess I spent years not really embracing this truth. I was content to be a Christian more in theory than in practice, and while I’m dedicated to changing that, I’ve still got a long way to go. I won’t give up, though, and I pray that you won’t either.

If the world can’t see a change in us, then we will have a hard time doing God’s work. How do we attract others to the light of Christ if we don’t let Him shine through us? Let’s fully embrace our new selves and reflect His light to everyone around us. Let’s continue to let the Holy Spirit transform us into the new creatures we are meant to be. Let’s work together and help each other. After all, as C. S. Lewis put it, becoming holy “must be great fun”!

We Choose to Gaze into Our Future

“We call ourselves Christian believers. Such identification doesn’t mean we will never again have questions. Rather, when we question, it will be with more perception, more depth, and more fortitude. In a world where so many are passionate about trivial matters, we have chosen deliberately to be passionate about those things that matter most. We are not ashamed to say we believe.”

J. Ellsworth Kalas, Christian Believer

As we step into our future, we do so as changed people. We are Christians. Let’s embrace the gift Christ has given us and serve Him well in this life. May we continue to grow in faith and knowledge of our Lord. May we demonstrate our love for God and our love for others. May we continue to let the Holy Spirit transform us from the inside out. And may we never, ever stop seeking Christ.

Our journey has just begun. It’s a journey that will last far into eternity. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on our final destination and brighten this world along the way. This life will have trouble, but it’s also an amazing adventure. Because of what Christ has done for us, we can face the future with courage and hope for we will one day be in heaven with our Lord. No matter what circumstances we are called to face in this life, our future is very bright indeed!

“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.”

C. S. Lewis

This week’s Scripture passages remind us to keep our eyes fixed on the bright future before us. We will hear more from Paul, who reminds us to rely on God’s wisdom, to trust God’s plan for us, and to reflect the glory of the Lord to everyone around us. As we journey through this life and into the next, we can do so with hope and confidence, overcoming any troubles we have to face, because God has amazing plans for us. He is leading us into abundant life. So let’s put our complete faith and trust in Him, and boldly step into the future! As the song goes:

“Things are going great, and they’re only getting better . . .
The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.”

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

References:

• Alcorn, Randy. Seeing the Unseen, Expanded Edition: A 90-Day Devotional to Set Your Mind on Eternity. Multnomah, 2017.
• Kalas, J. Ellsworth. Christian Believer: Knowing God with Heart and Mind — Study Manual. Abingdon Press, 1999.
• Lewis, C. S. “Mere Christianity.” The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics, Harper San Francisco, 2002, pp. 1-177.
• MacDonald, Pat. “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.”  Greetings from Timbuk 3.  I.R.S. Records, 1986.

Images:

• Sunglasses featured image by HG-Fotografie from Pixabay
• Graduates image by McElspeth from Pixabay
• Graduation Cap image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
• Bright Sun image by Derek Sears on Unsplash (edited)
• Stormy Road image by ELG21 from Pixabay
• Butterfly image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (edited)
• Cross image by Johannes Krasser from Pixabay (edited)
• Small Cross image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay (edited)
• Sunglasses Looking at the Sun image by Julia Kuzenkov on Unsplash (edited)