Day 6: Life Is a Temporary Assignment

I think Rick could do a better job of relating this last metaphor, of life being a temporary assignment, to the previous two.  I believe the good intent behind this metaphor is that we should not get too attached, too fixated and addicted, to the earthly objects with which we're surrounded.  However, without explicitly stating this, I, the reader, am left to wonder, "Am I supposed to treat this as a rented apartment that I don't have to care for?  That I can dent and scratch without worrying about lasting consequences?"  I think the answer is "no", based on the previous metaphors that life is a test and that life is a trust.

The metaphor of being an "ambassador to an enemy nation" seems very off-color to me.  Is earth an "enemy nation"?  One that God created?  This doesn't make any sense to me.  Furthermore, I'm curious where Christianity is "going" according to Rick with regard to identification and persecution of "enemies".  What a strong word!  And to follow that up with becoming a "traitor"!  What do Christians normally do with "enemies" and "traitors"?

I also find the statement, "the pursuit of happiness is not what life is about," to be an interesting one.  What is someone defined happiness as "having a strong connection to God"?  I think I get what Rick is saying.  I would qualify the word "happiness" with "material", so that we remind ourselves not to prioritize the pursuit of material happiness.

If Earth is supposed to be a temporary home for us, why did God create it?  To what end?

I'm intrigued by Rick's recommendation that "eternal values, not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your decisions."  But I wish he would elaborate on what values are eternal vs. which ones are temporal.  I also feel something odd about the expectation of a "promised reward in eternity".  Are Christians supposed to live for an expected reward?  I seem to recall from Tim Keller's video about the "prodigal son" story that we should live not for an immediate reward or even for a delayed reward.  Rather, Tim Keller says that we should simply live for the simple, unassuming love of God.

I think if I were to become Christian, I would much prefer Tim Keller to be my pastor than Rick Warren.

Point to Ponder: This world is not my home.

I can agree with this, especially in my current state where I don't feel like I have deep roots to any one particular location.  I feel that if I needed to pick up and leave the next day, it is well within my abilities to do so.

But regarding the point that we should not chase material possessions or shallow pleasures, I agree full-heartedly with Rick.  Whether the reason is a belief in God and the life beyond this one or a belief in something else to me is less relevant.  Whatever helps us make the right decision in the end is fine.

Question to Consider:  How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?

Strangely enough, I don't feel like this metaphor means much anymore.  Yesterday, when the metaphor was introduced, I thought it made sense and was compelling, but now that I reflect on Rick's words and the nature of the metaphor again, I think I like it a lot less.

What does being a temporary assignment or not really matter?  Does that mean you treat it with less respect or seriousness?  Especially if you believe the first metaphor that life is a test, where God is watching your every move and giving you opportunities at every moment to make the right decision?  Perhaps I'm simply finding dissonance with the word "assignment", because if I go back to the idea that we should not over-value earthly possessions and objects, I'm in agreement with Rick once again.

I think this reflection just goes to prove to me that words matter.  A lot.