• Red – Shady Grove
• Red – Glenmont
• Orange – New Carrollton
• Orange – Vienna
• Blue – Franconia-Springfield
• Blue – Downtown Largo

So if you know you need to get on the Red Line to reach your destination, that’s not all you need to know. The second crucial piece of information you need is whether you’re going toward Shady Grove or Glenmont! Shady Grove is the final stop on one end of the line, while Glenmont is the final stop on the other end of the line. You can’t just hop on any random subway car that’s marked as the Red Line! You must also know that you’re going in the correct direction.

Back in Sweden, as I explained this concept to my friend, the light bulb switched on in her brain. Ohhhh, she said. I get it now! And that made me think about living the Christian life with an eternal perspective. As a believer in Christ who has accepted Jesus as my Savior, I know my final destination. When I die, I’m going to paradise! And I know that one day, when Jesus returns, He will restore the earth and I will live in His glorious presence forever. The final victory was won when Jesus died on the cross and then rose back to life after three days. Because of this, believers can live with this ultimate victory in mind. We can keep our minds fixed on that, which allows us to live with a divine peace and joy despite any circumstances that come our way.

For example…

Imagine this. You got a new boss at work, and she puts everybody on edge. She came in with a bang, firing people left and right. One of your closest colleagues even got fired, and you don’t necessarily agree with that decision. Every day, you come to work and feel a tremendous amount of tension. People are walking on eggshells, worried that one wrong move or comment will cost them their job. Many people are stressed and unhappy. But!! As a believer living with an eternal perspective, you can operate differently. You know God is in control of your life. So instead of coming to work scared and anxious every day, you can come with a peace, knowing that if God wants you to remain working there, He will keep you there. He will guard and protect you under the shadow of His wing, so you have nothing to fear! 

Imagine this. You’re living through your country’s contentious presidential campaign. Everywhere you look, you see political ads and hear election-related discourse, and most of it is negative and accusatory—tearing down the other side. You hear people with different opinions disrespectfully disagreeing at work and in social media comments. Both sides of the campaign make it sound like your country will literally fall apart completely if their opponent wins. Because of this, people are living on edge. They are quick to lash out at people with different opinions from theirs, and they are sometimes blind to any perspective other than their own. Hatred, division, anxiety, unrest and chaos abound. But!! As a believer living with an eternal perspective, you can operate differently. You know God is in control of human history. He was, He is, and He is to come. No matter who wins the election, you know that the president’s power falls underneath God’s ultimate, sovereign power. So instead of living in fear, discouragement and panic, you can remain confident, optimistic and calm. Because of God’s eternal existence and sovereign control, no human ruler can threaten His final say. 

Imagine this. You lost a loved one unexpectedly. He fell sick, and then all of a sudden, he was gone. You were not prepared for this at all. You’re surrounded by family and friends for a couple weeks as everybody reaches out to check in and send help however they can. Then, people gather together for a funeral, which is both beautiful and devastating at the same time. As the weeks turn into months, reality sets in that your loved one will never be back. It’s tempting every single day to succumb to mindsets of negativity, anger and the deepest sadness from the depths of your soul. Some days, you feel like staying in bed and shutting the world out completely. Other days, you feel like “healing” your pain through alcohol, binge-eating or something else entirely unproductive. Depression seems to linger around every corner. But!! As a believer living with an eternal perspective, you remember that you can operate differently. Your loved one who died was also a believer, so you know he is living in eternal joy! …no sadness, pain, stress, fear or disappointment. And even better news? You know you will see him again one day and be reunited in God’s perfectly restored eternal kingdom! So in the midst of your sadness that will surely come and go as time goes on, you can confidently remind yourself that each day that passes is one day closer to being together again with your loved one. The best is yet to come!

I honestly cannot imagine living without the benefit of that eternal perspective. Without the certain hope of eternity with Jesus, navigating difficult situations like these would be truly impossible. Don’t you think? I’m sitting here trying to picture myself surviving life’s ups and downs without the firm foundation that is Christ, and it’s scary to even consider. But I know my final destination! I know sin and death have been defeated. So even when challenges come my way, I can live in victory. I’m on the Metro line that’s headed toward Jesus, and that literally changes everything. Keep your eyes fixed on Him. He is the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). He has swallowed up death in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Your eternal destination rests safe and secure in His hands. 

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. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. -Colossians 3:1-4