Do You Anticipate Heaven?
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown
Bible Reading:
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” - John 14:1-3
What Is Heaven Like?
One realization about believers that has surprised me over the years, especially with older Christians, is how little they think about Heaven. If salvation is to take place when we die, perhaps the thinking is that we live now, and Heaven comes later. That’s a fair point. We can read about Heaven and pontificate it, but we won’t know what it’s actually like until we know. What’s more apparent is the here and now, our day-to-day struggles and triumphs.
Nonetheless, I still can’t help but wonder why we don’t think about Heaven just a bit more. Scripture talks about it to some degree. Jesus told his disciples that He was going to prepare a room for them. Imagine that. A room is uniquely prepared for you. This could be a literal room, or some sort of home, or something else entirely, but if God made it, you know it’ll be great. This is one of God’s promises we can hold on to while we’re here on earth and yet, we don’t spend any time thinking about it.
There’s plenty to enjoy about our earthly homes. The people, the gizmos and gadgets, all the conveniences we so often take for granted. Yet, all of this is temporary. Our things wither away, needing to one day be replaced, and we, too, wither away. Though, in our case, the finish line is just that.
This may seem like a scary thought, but when Jesus talked about death, He wasn’t afraid. When He talked about Heaven, there was anticipation. As imitators of Christ, we should strive to emulate Jesus in these ways also (Ephesians 5:1-2). Then we come closer to impacting the world the way He did.
Forming a new habit may seem difficult, but just because we didn’t think about it much before doesn’t mean we can’t start anticipating heaven more today. Honestly, there are plenty of reasons to do so.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Thinking about death puts life into perspective. Nothing makes you appreciate what you have as much as not having that particular thing. This is true of our possessions and especially of our relationships. When we realize that our relationships don’t last forever, we’re less likely to take them for granted or allow petty squabbles to prevent us from making amends.
Thinking about Heaven brings excitement. There’s plenty of unknown regarding Heaven, but there are several details that we do know, like how there will be no more death, sickness, or sadness. We will be able to dwell in the presence of the Lord and do so peacefully for eternity. Imagine that. Peace that lasts forever. How we will spend all of that time, who knows, but all of the things that kept us from living life to the fullest will be no more.
Thinking above Heaven brings comfort. In life, we all go through phases where we question God’s existence or doubt He’s with us during our darkest hours. In Heaven, there won’t be any dark hours, and in addition to that, we will be all the closer to God’s presence. Think about when you have felt closest to Him on this side of life. Now imagine that occurring constantly and to a greater degree. Does that bring a smile to your face?
Thinking about Heaven builds faith. When we live with Heaven on our minds, we don’t shy away from discussing it. Not with fellow believers or nonbelievers. Moreover, when we think about Heaven, we give ourselves reason to be faithful today. Faithful in the midst of temptation, hardship, and any difficulty, because we’re reminding ourselves that there is more to existence than the here and now. What we face today is temporary, but Heaven is eternal. Maybe today you don’t anticipate Heaven, but tomorrow you should. Thinking about that wonderful place makes living a whole lot better.
Further Reading (and Listening):
John 3:16
Revelations 21:4
Colossians 3:2
2 Corinthians 5:1
“WHAT LIVING IS ALL ABOUT” by Forrest Frank
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/xixinx
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