I have a mixed response to heaven. I want to focus on the here and now. I don’t want to be accused of being “so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good.” This phrase is a distortion, of course. However, it has been worked into my heart by a culture that has lost touch with the spiritual. I constantly seek to get it out of my head and heart.
When I am thinking most clearly, the promise of heaven sounds pretty good to me. As I embrace heaven, I am relieved to know that there is a place where God’s glory is unveiled and I will see him face to face. I look forward to a place where there is no sin, no pain, no death, no tears. I want to be in a place where life is the way that God intended it to be. In those times when my mind is clearest, I find heaven brings all of life into focus. The more I see of life on earth from God’s perspective, the more fully I live it here.
A friend of mine described his father-in-law at the time of his death. He was “so heavenly minded that he traveled through this life with great zeal!”
Think About It
Imagine that God will allow you to be with him for the next fifteen minutes in heaven. You have no more earthly responsibilities. Sit and enjoy being with him. Write down your impressions. How does spending time with God change your perspective on your concerns and tasks of today and tomorrow?
Study It
Read John 14:1-4. Jesus tells the disciples to trust him. How would trust help the disciples as they cope with his impending departure?
Michael
"If I don’t see you here again, I will see you there!"