Thinking of Heaven

Living with our thoughts on Heaven is not something most of us do. We are either simply too busy trying to keep up with what is going on to give it a thought, or consider the thought of dying to be too depressing to consider. Have you ever considered that maybe one of the biggest problems you have, as a follower of Jesus, is that you don’t think about Heaven enough? Chan writes,

“Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Regarding this, C. S. Lewis writes, ‘If you read history you will find the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.’” (Crazy Love, p. 75)

Hebrews chapter 11 presents people used as examples of faith. We could even call them heroes of faith. The thing that each of these heroes of faith have in common is that they did not live for an earthly promise. Instead they looked forward to the better promise that God had given. The better promise is that all of those who have faith will one day be able to exalt the name of Jesus together, glorifying God throughout eternity. In order to be a person of faith, we simply can’t be consumed by thinking about this world.

Colossians 3:2, is clear that our thoughts ought to be set upon heavenly things. That means that while we live each and every day here on earth, we do not need to be consumed by earthly things. When we have a biblical view that Heaven is a real place that we will live as real people in the presence of a real God, we can begin to live for the day that we will finally be there. We can exchange the temporary pleasures of this world for the eternal glory of the next.

One thing that I have observed about people who are really in love with Jesus is that they simply can’t wait to be with Him in a real place we call Heaven. They allow the thoughts of being with Jesus someday drive them today. What is it that you find yourself thinking about?