“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
I once heard a preacher who said “Lord, you’re the reason that I get out of bed so early in the morning!” It was convicting to me, because I thought back to the only reasons that I usually get out of bed in the mornings, and it either has something to do with money, or it has to do with my own pleasure.
I thought about this, and wondered why; then suddenly it became very apparent to me. This was about faith, or more precicely, my distinct lack of faith.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”Hebrews 11:6
As a worker, I am promised a paycheck, only if I get to work on time, work a specified number of hours, and perform a certain way. This encourages me to get up in the morning, whether I want to or not, because otherwise, I won't get paid.
Likewise, if there is something exciting happening the next day, I have no issues getting up in the morning, because I have something to look forward to.
This leads me to the next conclusion, which is, I want instant gratification. Both these things have instantly gratifying results, and so I react to them. The Bible promises that God rewards those who seek him, but this reward comes much, much later, and the reward may only be apparent after death. This is hard for our time-bound, human brains to grasp. Why should I labor for something that I won't even experience in this life?
The answer comes clearly when looked at through the eyes of faith. When we truly believe that the things which are seen are temporal, and the things which we cannot see are eternal, we will have a much different perspective.