12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
There are three distinct ages of existence. The first was before there was any creation at all, when only God existed. The second is ‘this present age’, when creation exists as we know it, where time seems to bind moment to moment. The final age as we understand it from this time-bound perspective is the heavenly existence after our death; no time and no tears. But what I find encouraging to me today is that this present age is not permanent. This is simply a temporary training ground for heaven. The pain and sorrows will end some day. My kidney stones will not be a problem anymore! My bulging discs won’t cause any restriction in my movements. But an even greater truth is that I won’t have any struggle with sin; that battle will have been won. Sin will have no sway on my life. But until that ‘time’ I must learn to say “no” to those wrong-headed desires. What amazes me is our ability to not learn from other’s mistakes. We see the pain and sorrow caused by sexual unfaithfulness, and yet some still walk headlong into adultery, thinking, somehow it will be different for them. Or perhaps it is the lie of wealth, if I just had enough I would be happy. A certain amount of wealth does make life less stressful. It gets tiring walking those five miles to the stream to get your water every day. And then there is the chopping of the wood and the thatching of the roof to be done. But when the pursuit of wealth warps out of proper proportion, and it becomes the object of our life’s energies rather than the pursuit of relationship with God and others, then the emptiness of wealth becomes evident. Wealth needs to remain a means, not the end itself. Wealth is to be used for Godly purposes, not horded like a rodent gathering unattached objects. This present age is preparation for the final age. How well are you preparing?
The Arnold Journey 