“We concentrate not on what is seen but what is unseen, because what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18

In this verse, the apostle Paul describes a very important reality. This reality is true both in spiritual and practical matters.

Spiritual realities such as faith, character, endurance, reaping, and sowing are things the world doesn’t value. As Christians, we treasure these things more than any amount of wealth or material possessions. God is so much more concerned about our character than he is our comfort.

True wealth is always spiritual because that is what we are going to take with us to heaven. What we do on this earth sets us up for eternity in heaven. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus so he has the final say on everything that happens.

Jesus controls everything and although we cannot see him, he lives in us. An important spiritual reality is that what is unseen controls what is seen. This is also true in practical matters.

Many people are trained to take everything at face value. We don’t ask why we do what we do. When we question something, we begin to look at the underlying factors that control the specific thing we are questioning.

Romans 12:2 commands us to not conform to the world but to be transformed through renewing our minds and to test what is God’s will. A lot of times what we do is out of conformity to the world and a general acceptance that this is how things have always been done. Simply looking at the history, processes, and laws behind everything helps us gain a better understanding of the motives behind such things and can help us discern how to proceed.

What is unseen controls everything that is seen. A lot of us live lives where we base our decisions on how other people perceive what we do. This really is a form of slavery to the world, but Jesus came to set us free from sin and from the opinions of others.

When you focus on what is unseen, then you can have much more freedom than you allow yourself to have.

-Phil