What Frustrates You? Will it matter in 1000 years?

So tell me… what frustrates you?

Something may have immediately come to mind, or maybe you have to think a bit, but I’m sure before too long you can think of at least one thing that gets to you.  These are usually insignificant but powerful little things that change our entire mood when we encounter them.

Mine?  Mopeds.

Not mopeds in general, just ones that are going 10 – 15mph slower than the speed limit and refuse to move over.  Well, as fate (or maybe it was God) would have it,  I came up behind one on my way to work yesterday. It was a 45mph speed zone and I assume the moped pilot was going at least 10mph under the speed limit. Cars were quickly putting on their turn signals, switching lanes, and going around him, probably muttering words of disapproval over the entire idea of mopeds being allowed on busy roads, just like I normally would. This time, however, instead of having those selfish thoughts, God reminded me of something. Something powerful…

“How much will this moped encounter matter in eternity?” 

Say what?  I thought about the question for a while.  How much will it matter?  The simple and obvious answer is… it won’t.  In 1000 years, I won’t think about the times I was stuck behind slow-moving mopeds.  I won’t care that they refused to move over to allow traffic to pass.

It just will not matter.

Ok, so the moped thing is handled.  I’m delivered!  Congratulations.  But why stop there?  What if we view everything through that filter?  What if everything we encounter that normally frustrates us is processed in an eternal view?  Would that change our perspective?

So many times I am guilty of short-term thinking.  I concentrate on the moment instead of looking into the future.  I look at temporary discomforts, inconveniences, and frustrations as life changing events when they’re actually just minor bumps in the road.  I give them power that they shouldn’t have and allow them to affect me for longer than they really should.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  2Cor 4:17 NIV

The little things that bother us so much now will not even be considered in heaven.  Even the things that seemed nearly unbearable will be well worth it when we’re spending eternity with our Savior.  Don’t give power to the frustrations you face.  Take the strength out of them by recognizing them as the temporary inconveniences they are.

The next time you encounter that thing that frustrates you, look 1000 years into the future and ask if it really matters.

Live your life with eternity in mind.  

Photo by fung.leo – Flickr.com