Walking in Wisdom: Living with an Eternal Perspective

Music. Welcome to the Thankful Homemaker podcast, a podcast to be an encouragement and blessing to each other in the role God has called us to as women.

I'm so thankful you've stopped by, so grab yourself a coffee or tea and sit with me a bit as we talk about how God's Word impacts every area of our lives as Christian women. Hello, friend. I'm Marci Farrell from Thankful Homemaker, and I'm so glad to be with you today. We are wrapping up our three-part series on walking in wisdom, and today we're on episode 172, and it's about living within eternal perspective. Each episode stands alone, so if you have not listened to the first two yet,

you are just fine. Please don't go anywhere. I'm really thankful you're here, but I'm going to give us just a really quick recap before I begin here. So in this series, we've been reflecting on what it means to live wisely, and not just in the big decisions where we already know where we need it, right, but also in the everyday moments where we may not always think about it.

So in our first episode, in episode 170, it was on living wisely in a distracting world, and we laid the foundation for biblical wisdom. We looked at how true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and how easily distractions pull us away from what truly matters.

And then in our second episode, we talked about practical steps for everyday faith, and we discussed practical, obviously, in the title, practical ways to walk in wisdom and how it shapes our daily choices our words how we use our time and i will link to that whole series in the show notes in those episodes so super easy to find actually if you go to my blog and you go to the main menu and you hover over that or wherever you're at if you're on nevertheless go to the main menu

let me start that again and just you when you go down to where it says blog and you go down and you find christian living and as you hover over that, you'll see the Walk in Wisdom series there. But again, I'll link to it. You won't even need it if you've got the show notes there.

So, but today in this final episode. I really, I want us to take a step back and take in the bigger picture because wisdom isn't just about making good choices in the moment or for today's decision, but it's also meant to shape how we view our entire lives and eternity. So again, there's also a partial blog post for this over at the blog for this episode, and I'm going to have another PDF companion guide for our Patreon supporters for this episode too.

So thank you so much, you all. And you can find all that information at the main show notes. So let me get started with this episode. So Colossians 3, 1 through 2, some of my favorite verses, I have a lot of favorite verses, like I'm sure all of you do. Colossians 3, 1 through 2 reminds us, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

So walking in wisdom means that we're living with eternity in view, because so much of what we fill our days with, it's temporary. It's our tasks, our responsibilities, our schedules. But 2 Corinthians 4.18 reminds us, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. So are we investing in what truly lasts?

Things like knowing Christ, growing in holiness, loving others as Christ has loved us, or are we caught up in what's going to fade away? And how do we balance our daily responsibilities while keeping an eternal mindset? How do we make the most of the time God has given us without feeling overwhelmed? And how do we invest in what truly lasts instead of just getting caught up in the things that are going to fade away?

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6, verses 19 to 20, and I have a whole series on the Sermon on the Mount, so we dug into this passage a little deeper in that, but he tells us there in Matthew 6, 19 to 20, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. True wisdom, it leads us to store up treasure in heaven, not just accomplish more here on earth.

And again, this means that we're choosing faithfulness over busyness, and we're investing in people over productivity, and we're keeping our hearts fixed on Christ instead of just temporary success. And that's what we're going to work through today, not just how to live wisely in the moment, but how to live with eternity in view. Because wisdom, it's not just about ordering our days well, it's about anchoring

our lives in what's eternal. Because when we fix our eyes on Christ and we seek first His kingdom, everything else falls into place. So I pray that our conversation today, that it lifts our gaze beyond the temporary, and I'm praying this for myself, and it reminds us that every moment of faithfulness matters for eternity. So friend, grab your coffee or tea, and let's walk through this together.

So before we talk about how wisdom shapes our time and responsibilities, we need to start with something foundational. We cannot do this on our own. I have entire episodes dedicated to these topics individually. I had a whole series on the spiritual disciplines, but things like time in the word, prayer, Bible study, spiritual disciplines, they're all there. So I walk through them in more depth there.

And since we're only touching on them briefly today, I'm going to link to those episodes in the show notes if you do want to go deeper there. That said, though, even though we're not diving deep into these disciplines here, I want to emphasize how foundational they are to walking in wisdom. We cannot live wisely apart from God's wisdom, and we cannot receive God's wisdom apart from his word and time with him in prayer. Because true wisdom, it not only guides us in daily decisions.

But it prepares us for eternity. The choices we make today, how we seek the Lord, how we use our time, how we love others, they're shaping the person we are becoming for eternity. So are we storing up wisdom that will last, or are we seeking wisdom only for the here and now? James 1.5 reminds us, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

I love this verse because it frees us from the pressure of trying to figure everything out ourselves. So instead of navigating life on our own, God invites us to seek him first. He's not standing back, waiting for us to come up with the perfect plan. He's ready and he's willing to guide us. We just need to come to him.

When we feel overwhelmed by decisions, whether big ones like where to live or how to handle difficult situations or even our small ones like, Lord, how do I structure my day-to-day? It's so easy to lean on our own understanding, but we do things like we analyze and we stress over it and we overthink, or at least I do, and I'm especially the overthinker here, but scripture calls us to something different.

Proverbs 3, five through six tells us, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. So walking in wisdom, it's more than just making good choices for today. It's about walking a path that leads us toward Christ and eternity with Him. Each step of obedience, each moment we spend seeking the Lord, it's a step toward the internal inheritance He has prepared for us.

So what would it look like if instead of we just rushed to figure things out, we paused and we just asked the Lord for wisdom? It could be as simple. I'm just throwing some examples out here. Starting each day in prayer, right? Just asking the Lord to guide your steps or praying over your to-do list for the day. Turning to His Word first before maybe you go seek the opinions of others. I think there too, even just seeking Him in prayer first before we always turn to others.

Taking a moment in the middle of the day to just pause and pray before you make a decision. One of the most powerful ways to practice walking in wisdom is to simply ask for it. The Lord delights in giving wisdom to those who seek Him. Here's where I want to pause, because so often we desire wisdom, yet we can neglect. We can get busy. And I know our lives as mamas and homemakers can get very busy. I get that.

And we can neglect one of the primary ways that God speaks to us, and it's through his word. Because as we talk about wisdom and seeking the Lord's guidance in our lives, we need to go to this primary way that the Lord speaks to us. But before I do, I need to make something very clear here, okay? We can only walk in true wisdom if we're in Christ. This is a foundation that is so key to this whole series.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 1.30 that Christ Jesus became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Because without him, we may seek to live wisely, but we're always going to fall short.

True wisdom, wisdom that leads to life, begins with the right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So if you're listening here today and you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ, I really want to encourage you to just consider this for me, please. Just listen. Take a moment and listen to me. If you are in Christ, listen again, because we cannot hear and be reminded of the gospel enough. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God's perfect standard.

And because of our sin, we're separated from Him and deserve His judgment. But in His love, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life. We could never live, and to die on the cross for our sins, and to rise again, defeating death. The call of the gospel is to turn from our sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone, we are forgiven, we are made new, and we are brought into a right relationship with God.

And as believers, we are now able to walk in true wisdom led by His Spirit and His Word. So my friend, if you have never trusted in Christ, I urge you, do not delay. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for He alone is our hope and salvation. The call of the gospel, it's not just an invitation, but it's a command to turn from sin and trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

And always, always, if you have questions about this, or you're not sure, or you're not clear, or you want to know more about what it means to follow Jesus, please reach out to me. I would love to encourage you. I have a contact form right on my blog. You can reach out. You can reach out to me through social media on Instagram, but reach out to me. I would love that.

So I want to walk us through how we practically seek God's wisdom in our daily lives as believers. And it's simply, it's simply, we make, we overcomplicate things, but it's simply through his word and prayer and walking in obedience, walking in obedience to him. If we want to live with an eternal mindset, we need to anchor ourselves in eternal truth.

And one of the most valuable ways we can seek God's wisdom, not just for today, but for eternity, is by dedicating a portion of each day to be with Him in His Word and in prayer. We cannot walk wisely apart from His truth. His Word, it's not optional. It's our daily bread. It's our source of life and strength. Matthew 4.4 reminds us, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

So just as we need food to nourish our bodies, we need scripture, friend, to sustain our souls. We need time in God's word. If we neglect it, we are spiritually starving ourselves. The world is constantly filling our minds with messages that compete with God's truth. We need to be intentional about filling our hearts and minds with scripture so we can discern what's right and walk in wisdom and grow in our love for the Lord.

It's in his word that we come to know him more deeply. And that's where we align our hearts with his truth. And that's where we grow in wisdom. So spending time in scripture, it's not just this good habit. It's a good thing, right? But it's our lifeline to knowing the heart of our Savior and walking faithfully with him. And just as we plan for meals for the week, you know, I'm all about that, right? Or set reminders for appointments.

We need to be intentional about our time with the Lord. Without a plan, it's really easy to let distractions take over or to push time with the Lord aside for, quote, later, only for the day to slip away. So here's a few simple ways to cultivate consistency. And I'm just throwing some little bullet point thoughts out there. I have deeper episodes on all these. I'll link to some. I'm going to link to the spiritual disciplines, but I have episodes on our daily

time in the Word and what that looks like. So here's a little bit. Let me just start with some quick bullet points here. Pick a Bible reading plan, right? That's an easy one. Whether it's reading through a book of the Bible, a yearly plan, or a Psalm each morning, you have to have some kind of plan to keep you in the Word regularly. And I really encourage you, some kind of read through the whole Bible plan. You can go deeper on other days or certain mornings where you have more time.

And I'm not saying you have to do it in a year. Maybe it takes you two years or three years, but read through the whole scripture continually over and over and over again. In your lifetime here on this earth as a believer. Listen to scripture. It is so good that we can listen to God's word while we're driving or cooking or folding laundry. There are so many audio Bible options online for free. I'm not even gonna list them all here. I'm just gonna share that.

I'm a user. I'm a fan of the Crossway ESV Bible app. It works for me. I really like it. Another thing is write it down. Keep a journal for notes, prayers, maybe writing out scripture and insights because all of that helps deepen your engagement with scripture. It allows you to reflect on how the Lord is teaching you. And even jotting down one verse that stood out to you that morning that you read and some thoughts on it, that can really help to reinforce its truth.

Study the word deeper on your own or with a group or in your church family. I always think here your church family is such a good resource. Make sure you attend Sunday school or whatever you might call it. I think we call it adult Bible fellowship. Make sure you attend that if it's an option. Any midweek studies going on, you know, if there's things Wednesday night or women's Bible studies that are offered. If you can go, go.

Your local church is that resource to help you to grow in the knowledge of the Word, too. Study the passages that your pastor's preaching through each week. I know for us, our pastor gives us questions in the bulletin each week from the passage, and they're just really helpful to go a little deeper to work through either together, alone, or as a family. Use your Bible as a conversation starter with your family. Actually, let me go back to that story because I'm just talking about that.

Our pastor, not only do they do that, but our church has put together a podcast where he works through the questions with someone, and that's been really good to listen to. So I get the message, and then I can listen to his podcast, taking us deeper through those questions. I just have really enjoyed that. I'll link to that podcast in the show notes for you, too. So use your Bible as a conversation starter with your family.

Read scripture together at the breakfast table. Discuss a passage with your children every day. Pray through scripture together with your husband. I know praying together is good, but what about praying through scripture together? Small moments in the word, they add up and they can so transform the atmosphere of our homes. The key here I'm getting at is it's consistency. Again, I'm always about this. I always say not perfection because some days are going to be rich and deep.

And then other days, it could feel like a struggle just to read one verse. But faithfulness matters. If you miss a day, don't feel like you failed. Tomorrow's a new day, right? His mercies are new every morning. Just start fresh. The goal here, it's not just to check off a box like, yep, I did it. The goal is that we want to grow in knowing and loving him more. And Isaiah 55, 11 reminds us, So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth.

It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. So friend, be encouraged today. open your Bible, linger in His presence. There's no substitute for His Word. It's where you're going to find the wisdom you need, the strength you need, and the joy of walking closely with Jesus. You will never regret spending time with the Lord and His Word.

And the time that we spend in Scripture today, that's shaping our hearts for eternity, because every moment in God's Word, it's a step toward knowing Him more deeply, and we're growing in holiness, and we're preparing our souls for the day when we're going to see him face to face.

So I'm going to talk here a little bit about habits, because one way to make the Bible reading and prayer, and I'm going to get a. To make it a natural part of your day is by something, it's a term I've heard before and you've probably heard it, it's called habit stacking. And it just means you're tying a new habit to something you already do.

So the example is like, if you drink a cup of coffee in the morning, then maybe that's the time when you do that, the trigger is you open your Bible by sipping that first cup. If you drive to work or you run errands, listen to scripture or a biblical, you know, just a solid podcast. If you have a lunch break, maybe read a Psalm or a proverb instead of scrolling on your phone, or if you tuck your kids into bed, then pray over them and share a short Bible verse.

Those are, I'm just throwing a couple of thoughts out. It doesn't have to be long or complicated. It just has to be intentional because over time, what starts as discipline turns into delight. And John Piper said, I love this quote. He says, we taste the sweetness of God's word only after we eat it. I like that. Sometimes maybe we don't feel like opening the Bible. It's work, right? It's not easy. But when we do, God meets us there and our hunger, it grows for him.

And this is an excellent book. I've recommended it before. In Heart and Habits, it's called Heart and Habits, How We Change for Good by Greg Gifford. He reminds us that our habits, they're not just actions, but we're shaped by them. And he explains that we don't just practice godly habits to change our behavior, but because they form our hearts toward Christ. So when we regularly seek the Lord in his word and in prayer, we're not just checking off a spiritual to-do list.

We're cultivating affections that love and long for him more. And as I'm mentioning Greg Gifford, I do want to do a plug for it. He's got an excellent podcast called Transformed, and it's part of the Fortis Institute family of podcasts, Think Wretched Radio there. They've kind of expanded. It's such a great resource to check out. And if I remember to link all these things I'm telling you about, I'll try to remember to link that one in the main show notes too.

If I forget something and you can't find it, please always shoot me a message. Or if you see the post on social media, write a comment under it and I'll find it for you. So this isn't just about making time for God today. Again, it's about preparing our hearts for eternity because the habits we build now are shaping us for the day when we're gonna worship him forever, referencing the Revelation 22 verses three through four. And this is why forming consistent spiritual habits, it matters.

It's not just about setting a routine, but it's about shaping our hearts to delight in the Lord more deeply. So if you're struggling to make time in the Word, start small. But please start. Choose one simple habit to anchor your time with the Lord and let Him transform your heart through it. I also encourage you to just keep a simple Bible journal, not for the sake of formality, but really to help you process and remember what God is teaching you. There's something about writing it down.

We often read scripture and then we move quickly without pausing to reflect or meditate on it. But taking a moment to write down even one takeaway, it really can help you to slow down and meditate and apply God's truth more intentionally. I've shared this quote many times before from Donald Whitney, but he offers such a simple, helpful challenge. I won't, he says, I won't close my Bible until I can prayerfully think of at least one way to apply what I've read. That's a great habit.

So instead of reading, again, to just check that box off, we can ask God how we can apply his truth that day. And I'm gonna give you a few prompts to write in your journal. And I also have a resource at the show notes and I'll put it in there about daily time with the Lord. And it's got some questions and some things to help you work through in your time with the Lord. If you don't have a system already, it might help you to get started.

It's a free PDF in my library of resources at the blog, so I will link to that too. So here's a few simple prompts you can just write in your journal. Things like, what does this passage teach me about God? Is there a command to obey? Is there a promise to cling to? How does this apply to my life today? Is there a sin I need to confess or repent of? And how does this passage point me to Christ? There's many more you can add to that list. I just threw a few out.

But writing those questions down, it really helps us to meditate on the word throughout the day as we work through them. And that keeps us anchored in truth. And that continues to then transform our hearts and minds. Because as we store up God's word in our hearts, we're investing in what lasts forever. Isaiah 48 says, The grass weathers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Our world is fleeting, but God's truth endures, and it prepares us to meet him one day. Okay.

Prayer doesn't have to be complicated or lengthy, but it really should be constant because prayer is one of the most powerful ways we fix our eyes on eternity. It lifts our hearts beyond temporary concerns, and it aligns us with, I should say, God's eternal purposes.

And one really simple way to keep your prayer life just vibrant is to pray through Scripture, and you're keeping it focused on Christ and not so self-focused, I guess I want to say sometimes, because we can get overloaded on the supplications. But when we're praying through scripture, you could just, Psalm 23 is a great example. Like, Lord, thank you for being my shepherd. Help me to trust your leading today.

And, or Father, when I feel anxious, remind me that you restore my soul or help me to walk in righteousness and honor you in my daily choices. There's other helpful frameworks you could use to pray. There's one called the pray method where P stands for praise. So you're thanking God for who he is. R is repent. You're confessing areas of struggle or sin. A is for ask. You're bringing your needs and the needs of others to him. And Y is yield. You're surrendering your day and heart to his guidance.

My personal favorite is Acts, and it provides just a simple, powerful way to structure prayer. I really appreciated this. Someone shared it with me as a new believer, and I'm so grateful. Y'all know this one. A is adoration. You're gonna worship and praise God for who he is. And I know a lot of times I have some resources is where I can pray through his attributes. C is confession. We acknowledge our sins. We seek his forgiveness.

T is thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for his goodness and faithfulness. And S is supplication, bringing our requests before him and we're interceding for others and ourselves. And I just, I love the acts method because again, it just helps me focus on who God is first rather than just jumping into my requests. It leads me first into worship and then takes me into repentance and gratitude before I'm seeking his help. It's keeping my heart aligned with him.

And that simple structure keeps prayer focused on the Lord rather than just my circumstances. So, As we pray, we're reminded that our greatest treasure, it's not in this world, but in Christ himself. It just, prayer keeps us anchored in him. It prepares us for eternity with him. And Philippians 3.20 reminds us, but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So when we bring our concerns before the Lord, we're practicing dependence on the one who reigns eternally, and we align our hearts with his kingdom. So as we, and we are, we're wrapping up. I'm kind of sad about that. But as we are wrapping up this series on walking in wisdom, I pray that you've been encouraged to seek God's wisdom. Again, not in the big decisions, definitely those, for sure, but in the daily moments that shape our lives for eternity.

Psalm 90.12 reminds us, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Each day we have, friend, it's an opportunity to walk in faithfulness, not by filling our schedules with more, but by aligning our hearts with what truly matters. Knowing Christ, again, growing in holiness, we're investing in what lasts forever. Colossians 3.2 calls us to set our minds on things above, not on things on this earth.

And the world constantly demands our attention, but a wise heart seeks first the kingdom of God. So let me ask you, as we're here today, because I do this and I really, I want, I pray that you leave with something, that you'll take some nugget from it, something. So what is one small top you, as I can speak here, What is one small step that you can take today to seek the Lord more intentionally?

Can you set your Bible next to your coffee cup? Can you download a Bible app to listen while you drive? Can you keep a journal to just write key takeaways from your reading, your time in the Word? It doesn't have to be overwhelming, but start small. At least start, right? Start small, but start, I should say.

The Lord is faithful to meet us as we seek Him because when we fix our eyes on Christ, He's gonna bring us back to what truly matters and He's gonna lead us in His wisdom because Jesus truly is enough always. I'm so grateful for you, my friend. And always the full show notes, head over to my home on the web at thankfulhomemaker.com. The main show notes for this will be, it'll be underneath wherever you're listening, whatever podcast catcher app that you utilize.

And if you're looking again for a simple way to begin your day with the Lord, I'd love to share my daily time with the Lord printable with you. It's a free PDF guide. It's going to help you stay in the word and pray with intention and just start each day with a heart focused on Christ. And I'll put a link for it in the show notes. When you grab that PDF, you also get access to my whole free library of resources. And I just added a new one in there that you'll find.

And it's on helping your family to have a Christ-focused Easter. It's just a little PDF guide to give you some helpful thoughts on that. So that'll be there too for you. So thank you so much, my friend, for spending time with me today. I pray that we continue to seek the Lord and trust in his wisdom and I do pray that you have a very blessed week. Music.