Tag Archives: Heavenly minded

Thinking about heaven

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How often do you think about heaven? Often, occassionally, rarely? I’ve been thinking about heaven more and more over the past three years, and more so in recent months. It seems to me there are things “I know,” things I’ve “forgotten” and other great and wonderful mysteries that yet remain to be revealed.

 

It seems likely that people of all nations and cultures have dreamt of some sort of a life after earth. While our views of heaven may differ, typically we all view heaven as a place of great happiness, satisfaction, and reward. And while most of us might tend to consider heaven as some unknown and distant land, the Bible consistently refers to heaven as our true home, our “native land,” the place where we belong and were meant to be.

 

Furthermore, unless we are raptured, we all share a 100% mortality rate. We ought to be prepared! Some of us will have advance notice of the event with disease or other failing condition announcing the impending event. For many others, the moment we step from this life on earth to the next step in our eternal realm, will come quite suddenly and unexpectedly. It seems only prudent that we should think about and plan for that time and place when we will truly be home. I’m certainly not proposing that heaven is everyone’s eternal reward. God is quite clear in distinguishing between those who love and obey him and thus inherit heaven, and those who prefer to “have it my way” and either ignore or actively rebel against God’s plans, who will choose themselves a devastating place for all eternity. (The thought of death should be quite fearful for them but that’s a subject for other writings.) But for now, our focus is on heaven, the true home for those who love God and believe in his Son Jesus.

 

I’m reading Randy Alcorn’s book on Heaven these days and look forward to sharing my reflections on his extensive studies with you. More so, I hope these writings will stimulate your own appetite to think and live in an increasingly heavenly minded way. But how should we approach the subject of heaven, this real place with houses and rooms where we will be “at home with the Lord?” (2 Corinthians 5:6-7, John 14:2)

 

To me, it makes sense that we hold up whatever preconceived notions and fanciful thoughts we have about heaven against what the scripture says. After all, isn’t this the approach you take in your search for truth in any situation? If you believe, as do I, that the Bible is God’s true and infallible word, then it only makes sense to examine what God has to say about heaven and to let his thoughts guide us in our thinking about and preparing for our eternal home.

 

I say this because it is quite easy to ignore heaven and simply throw ourselves into the depths of our earthly existence. In fact, chances are you have a whole list of things pulling at your attention right now that threaten to keep you from living a heavenly minded life.

 

Alcorn retells the story of world renowned swimmer Florence Chadwick, who in 1952 attempted to swim the 26 mile distance between Catalina Island and the California coast. Her quest was a difficult one, looking out for sharks, battling fatigue, and then finally a thick fog that set in, preventing her from seeing the shore ahead of her. Exhausted and frustrated, she gave up and asked to be brought into a nearby guide boat. To her dismay, she discovered she was only a mile from the shore. She said had she known how close she was, she surely would have completed her journey successfully (which she did later that year).

 

What conditions bring a “thick fog” to settle around us, keeping us from seeing how very close we are to our heavenly shore? Let’s persevere and not give up. Rather, let’s set our minds “on things above,” (Colossians 3:2) and start to live our life in view of heaven’s shore. Maybe a practical way to begin, is to ask yourself about any frustration you currently face, “Does this really matter in the light of heaven?5

Thinking about heaven

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What comes to mind when you think about heaven? Do you see a long line of people waiting to pass through the pearly gates? Maybe there’s someone at heaven’s concierge desk checking for ‘reservations’? Or maybe you see fluffy clouds with white-robed people with wings playing harps all day? That’s how cartoons often portray heaven. Do you see literal mansions lining the streets of gold or maybe overlooking the river of life? Maybe you’ve imagined what your mansion might look like, whether it will have an elegant banquet room, an atrium, and beautiful gardens. I’ve known some folks who’d like a shed for their fishing boat and a golf course next door.

 

Or maybe you think not so much of what you see, but what you feel: love, joy, acceptance, and peace. Maybe you imagine how vibrant and strong your heavenly body will be, not limited by pain, sorrow, addictions, and sorrow.

 

Maybe you look forward to reuniting with loved ones who’ve left this earth. And what a great reunion that will be! The Sadducees didn’t even believe in the resurrection. But in attempt to trick Jesus, they asked Him what marriage would look like in heaven. Maybe you’ve wondered that same thing. Jesus replied: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  (Matthew 22:29-30,32)

 

We have so many questions about heaven! But the message of Jesus is that more important than guessing at what heaven might be like, our focus is better placed on the power of God.  Many of our images of heaven are influenced by our imaginations and earthly desires. But if we “do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” our speculation is pointless. Heaven is bound to be so very much more than we can imagine in human terms!

 

Let’s turn our focus on our relationship with God who is now and forever. Let’s focus:

  • Less on our worldly possessions and accomplishments and more on deepening our relationship with God right now, today.
  • Less on our fears and more on His resurrection power.
  • Less on confessed sins that we still dwell on and more on His forgiveness.
  • Less on trying to be good and more on His goodness.
  • Less on our problems and more on His sustaining and amazing and grace.
  • Less on our worries and more on His promises.
  • Less on what culture says and more on His constant truth.
  • Less on our weakness and more on His strengthening Spirit.

 

Focusing less on our relationship with the world and more on our relationship with the living God will benefit our life now AND prepare us for an unimaginable life in heaven!

 

Recovering a sense of future

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When life comes crashing down, either suddenly or over the crushing weight of burdens carried too long, our vision becomes clouded and it’s hard to imagine a better future, or even any future at all. But recovering a sense of future is necessary to transition from surviving to thriving… to living well today. Despite the pain, sorrow, and disappointment that darkens our world right now, we need to recover a hope for the future.

 

Robert was one of the NYC firemen who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. But experiencing that tragedy didn’t prepare him for the crisis he experienced when diagnosed with crippling MDS four years later. Losing his job to disability and surviving a stem cell transplant, he had to redefine how he saw himself, the limited control he still had in his life, his sense of purpose and meaning, and his sense of the future.

 

“I’m still dealing with GVHD, as well as weight gain and mood swings from steroids. The hardest part is not being able to keep commitments because I never know how I will feel from one day to the next. It’s hard to accomplish tasks I set for myself. On the positive side, I’m getting better. My fear about getting sick has decreased. I don’t need blood transfusions anymore and I don’t worry about blood tests. And even though I miss working, it’s a relief to not have to worry about returning to work and wondering if I’d be able to perform my duties.”

 

“There was never a time when I didn’t look to the future. I worked toward short-term goals, like getting my central line removed, controlling my GVHD, and being able to quit taking steroids. Some days, I might be struggling with fatigue or just feeling down, but…once I’m on my feet I am able to keep going. Sometimes it’s hard to accept the changes I’ve been through, but I’m still getting better and adjusting to my ‘new normal.’ The main thing is that I’m here for my family and to see my kids grow up, and that gives me something to look forward to.”

 

Boy can I empathize with Robert! It’s like he is reading a page from my Leukemia journal. Keeping an eye on the future, without losing your focus on living well today, is a crucial element to making a successful transition from just surviving a tragic circumstance to living a thriving life. And our future is not just tomorrow or next week or even the years to come. Our greatest hope for the future is found in spending all eternity with God and reuniting with loved ones who have gone before us. Living with the future of heaven in mind is a great motivator for living well today!

 

Some thoughts to ponder as you consider the future:

Am I learning to better accept uncertainties in life?

How can I better adapt to uninvited change in my life?

What practical steps can I take to live fully today while planning for tomorrow?

 

If you struggle with the uncertainties that come with change or the thought of an unknown future, talk about your concerns with a trusted friend. Include God in your honest conversations. Recovering a hopeful sense of future helps you live purposefully and well today.