Faith, not sight

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 5.6-8

I am always challenged by Paul's view on living here and living in heaven. In another place he says that he is caught between two choices. He wants to go to heaven and be with Christ, but he also wants to be doing the work he loves. 

And that is something of a dilemma, isn't it? Sure, we all want to go to heaven, but at the same time we kind of like being alive now. After all, going to heaven means you have to die, and most folks don't really want to do that. 

So here we are, stuck in the middle - absent from the Lord, but having to absent this body in order to be with him. 

We only have one real option. We choose to live by faith in what God says and not at what we can see. We walk by faith, not by sight. 

What does that mean? It means that we don't get bogged down in the hard times and challenges. We don't let sight control our faith. We don't take our eyes off Jesus like Peter did when he walked on the water. 

One day we are going to depart this flesh. We will vacate there flesh to be present with the Lord. That, not the desires, whims, and temptations of the flesh, should control our lives today.