You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:11b-13 NIV
We all have things we look forward to: birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, vacations, retirement, marriage, grandkids, and so on. But how much do we look forward to the end of the world? According to Peter, we should be. This creation, and all it contains, is temporary and is facing destruction at some time in the future. But the good news is that its destruction makes way for a new and improved heaven and earth. In some ways, it is like demolishing an old run-down shack and replacing it with a mansion. As believers, we should be looking forward to our new home. And as we do, we should live holy and godly lives now, which in some way serves to speed up the date of the remodel.
But it is also important to realize that it does not give us a license to abuse the world we have now. When we were created, we were tasked with managing the creation. And that means we should work to make it as good as possible. One of the ways that we can honor and serve our Lord is by carrying out that original mandate he gave us.
