The physical universe in which we live is subject to the passage of time. All things physical within this universe are subject to time. Eternity is not time.

In the beginning (a “time” reference”) God created the physical universe and it would seem time itself. We cannot control, manipulate or adjust time in any presently (another “time” reference) known way. We have the means to measure time, and even that is imperfect, requiring the occasional (yes, another “time” reference) adjustment.

Having known only time, most of our attempts to describe eternity involve time concepts. For example, it has been said that if a bird carries a grain of sand from a beach on the shore of America to a beach on a shore of Europe and then repeats this flight until all the sand has been moved, that eternity would have just begun. An ant walking the same path around a steel ball the size of the earth until it is worn into two pieces is a similar attempt at describing the “beginning” of eternity. But these efforts fail, simply because they involve the passage of time, and eternity is not time.

We speak of eternity being “long” or of “spending” eternity or even of eternity “passing” as though it were time. I do not believe that any such reference can properly be used to describe eternity, simply because eternity is not time.

The planet earth, and every other planet, every star, every galaxy and even space itself are all passing away as you read this. You are not. To be sure, your physical body is in the process of running its course, but not your spirit. God has designed your spirit to be eternal. You will “outlast” the entire physical universe.

This is because the real you, is not a part of this universe. The real you, is born of eternity.

With these few thoughts, I encourage you to make resolutions with more than the coming new year in mind.