I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
One thing I have noticed over the years is the frequency with which individuals in the military express faith, particularly faith in Christ. It doesn’t go so far as the common myth that “There are no atheists in foxholes,” but it is frequent nevertheless. It shouldn’t be surprising that those who go into harm’s way, who are facing enemies who want to kill them, would think about our utter destiny as individuals.
The other way to look at it is that those who believe that we live in this life looking forward to another are willing to risk even this life itself for things that are greater than themselves- family, country, faith. They take the long view that a hundred years from now what will really matter is the fellowship with Christ in which we lived while living our lives on earth.
In this wonderful eighth chapter of Romans, Paul instructs us in what it means to belong to Christ, to be heirs of heaven, and so to live our lives in the realization that the troubles of life in this broken world will be rendered insignificant, beneath notice, by the glories of Heaven and of everlasting life. If we could set up a balance beam and place the troubles of life on one end and the glory of heaven on the other, the troubles would count as nothing.
When we look at life in the long view, we look beyond the troubles of life, beyond the he-who-dies-with-the-most-toys-wins values of our day. We realize that nothing is worth clinging to if it costs our eternal life, and that nothing is so important or so precious as saving faith. And having that faith we look forward to the crown of life that will not be taken away from us.