“Look at the person next to you. Look at the person behind you. These are your friends, and they will still be your friends one billion years from now. And when that day comes, you’ll look back and remember being together at Kids Club in Chicago.”

That’s how I began each Kids Club at our house. Why? Because even at an early age, I wanted to plant the idea that God has eternity in mind for each of us.

Solomon expressed this truth in Ecclesiastes 3:11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (NIV).

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s Word is filled with the promise of eternal life. Daniel declared that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed… it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and showed the way to enter into eternal life (Mark 10:17, 23). Paul preached that eternal life was being offered even to the Gentiles, and their response was powerful: “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:47–48, NKJV).

How Does This Change Our Thinking?

God has not only opened our minds to grasp the concept of eternity—He has also given us His Spirit so we can begin to develop an eternal mindset. That means shifting from a short-term, self-centered outlook to one that reflects God’s eternal perspective—His qualities, His way of thinking.

Let’s consider three practical ways this transformation shows up in our daily lives:

1. From Pride to Humility

As we grow older, pride naturally develops—a focus on self. But humility is foundational to an eternal mindset. Jesus taught:
“Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).

Humility is also at the heart of the Beatitudes:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

And Christ Himself modeled this eternal mindset by humbling Himself, even to the point of death (Philippians 2:8). Paul urges us to adopt this same mind (Philippians 2:5).

An eternal mindset makes humility constant—not occasional. Even a billion years from now, humility will remain at the very center of who we are.

2. From Alienation to Reconciliation

An eternal mindset values reconciliation over division. Paul described God’s work in Christ as “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18–19).

This perspective also guided Paul’s letter to Philemon, urging him to welcome Onesimus that “he might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (Philemon 1:15–16).   We should not overlook that the word for forever is the same word translated as eternity or eternal in other verses.  Paul urged Philemon to have an eternal mindset toward his spiritual brother Onesimus.

When we think with eternity in mind, grudges and bitterness have no place. Forgiveness, mercy, and restoration are the building blocks of eternal relationships in God’s family.

3. From Condemnation to Grace

An eternal mindset extends grace. Paul knew this personally. Once a persecutor, he received grace instead of condemnation. He testified:
“I do not count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

He later wrote:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

If we are developing an eternal mindset, we too will extend grace to others—even when condemnation seems justified.

The Eternal Mind of Christ

God’s Spirit enables us to develop the very mind of Christ. Jesus looked beyond the present moment with an eternal perspective: He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). He is the Alpha and the Omega—the One who sees God’s work from beginning to end.

His eternal vision is focused on bringing “many sons and daughters to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). He looks ahead to that great banquet in the Kingdom of God, where humility, reconciliation, and grace will be forever established in the character of God’s children.

Setting Our Minds on Things Above

Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:2:
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

As God’s Spirit continues to work in us, the seed of eternity grows. Pride gives way to humility. Alienation gives way to reconciliation. Condemnation gives way to grace. These are the qualities of an eternal mindset—a reflection of the mind of Christ being formed in us.

So as we keep this Sabbath, let us make it a true delight by resting from our normal responsibilities and focusing our thoughts on God’s eternal plan and His soon-coming Kingdom.