Thinking More About Heaven

I’VE BEEN THINKING MORE ABOUT HEAVEN because my dear friend since college arrived there today. Her family and friends are grieving their loss. She’s the second close friend I lost to breast cancer this month.

I use the word lost, but actually, they aren’t lost. I know where they are, and I will see them both again. Tears are falling on my computer as I type, though, because I’m among the many people who will miss these incredible women, both of whom left legacies of faithful service and lives well lived. I can’t imagine the physical pain of cancer and the emotional pain of leaving loved ones, but even though my friends fought to live on earth, they knew for certain that they would live forever in heaven.

Heaven is a reality! The Bible tells us so. The hope of heaven encourages people who have lost loved ones as well as those of us who are moving closer to life’s finish line. Having an eternal perspective also changes the way we live now, or at least it should. But there’s often a gap between what we claim to believe about heaven and what we really believe, which affects the way we actually live here on earth. It’s natural to be tied tightly to the things we see (our earthly goals, ambitions, or possessions) while we overlook the invisible, biblical reality of what is to come. Our Bibles encourage us to set our minds on things above (see Colossians 3:2), press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 3:13-14), and store up treasure in heaven (see Luke 12:33-34). But how do we keep from looking at temporal things, which are seen, and focus instead on things that are not seen? Second Corinthians 4:18 reminds us why that’s important: “For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (NLT).

Both of my friends who recently arrived in heaven focused on what will last. They loved and invested in their families. And when their kids grew older, one friend spent her days driving her van through the back streets of town amid drug pushers, starting a ministry to prostitutes by leading them to Christ, getting them off the streets and drugs, and preparing them for a new life. The ministry grew to include women exiting prison. My other friend led the prayer teams for her children’s schools and later for her city. Through the years, she served in multiple roles where she made an impact for Christ. Grateful recipients of both women’s spiritual influence will join them one day, because they thought about heaven long before they arrived.

God has a special plan for every one of us. Though we have a variety of talents, spiritual gifts, jobs, and responsibilities and are in various seasons of life, we share one commonality: We need an eternal mindset—the big picture of why the way we live matters and why all people matter, giving us a reason not to settle for an ordinary life and a purpose big enough to keep us on track all the way to the finish line.

My husband lives with an eternal perspective, which has impacted our family more than words can express. Bob’s priorities are focused on people and heaven. An eternal focus motivates us to store up treasure in heaven by investing our resources in people, who will live forever somewhere. Think about what you can do now to impact your eternity and the eternities of those in your sphere—the difference you can make with financial support, prayer, volunteering for a worthy cause, signing up for a mission trip, or sharing Christ with a friend. Parents have a ready-made opportunity to impact their families on earth to live for heaven, but all of us can affect those around us in important ways. An eternal investment yields eternal dividends, rewards we receive in heaven from our Savior, Jesus.

As I wept for my two friends who died this month, Bob wisely reminded me, “If we could see them now in heaven, we would not wish for them to return.” Philippians 3:20-21 tells us, “We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control” (NLT). We were created to live on earth with an eternal perspective, because God has placed eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

REFLECTION

How often do you think about the reality of heaven? Consider how you can “set your mind on the things above” (Colossians 3:2) through prayer and Scripture. Decide on one change you would like to make in your life to reflect your renewed eternal perspective and to make your life count for things that last.