What is heaven like?
Cartoonists have portrayed heaven like this: We’re all dressed in robes, strumming on harps, bouncing from cloud to cloud.
Really?
I mean that would be interesting for what? 42 seconds maybe. What about the rest of eternity?
Well meaning pastors have portrayed heaven as an endless church service or an endless song service.
I’m sorry. No.
Not the case. (And I’m glad it’s not the case. I’ve been in some great church services, and I’ve been in some where I’ve felt like walking out, but in either case I wouldn’t want it to go on forever and ever.)
So… before I get into what heaven is actually like, two things:
Are you a Christian leader, pastor, missionary, small group leader, lay leader? Looking for better ways to help other Christians grow? I think you might enjoy this six minute video.
Politics and social media? What do Christians need to know? The answer might surprise you. I share my thoughts in this Facebook post.
Okay, what will heaven be like?
Here are some thoughts:
#1. You will be safe. For anyone who has ever been abused, assaulted, lived in an unsafe neighborhood, put up with a toxic relationship, lived in a dysfunctional family—this is huge. You won’t need to be afraid any more. You can relax. You’re safe. You’re home—really home.
#2. You will belong. You are invited in. No one is going to defriend you, exclude you, look down on you, judge you. You will be welcome. Everyone will be glad to see you. All these things that divide people down here won’t exist up there—rich, poor, Left, Right, smart, not so smart, whatever. We will grow out of all that nonsense.
#3. You will be fully alive. This is where you finally achieve your full potential. The work you do will be work you absolutely love—I-can’t-wait-for-Monday-morning type work—work that makes a difference in the lives of other people. When you’re not working, every moment will be filled with wonder, with joy, with gratitude, with contentment. There will be just the right mix—for you—of excitement and of peace and calm. And, BTW, the technology will be… let’s just say… out of this world.
#4. You will be loved. Deeply. By God. By others. God wants your loved ones to be there, and He wants you to be able to share eternity with them. You will also make new friends with people from every generation of human history. People you’ve read about—you will meet. You’ll like them, they will like you.
#5. No more deception. Our culture and our every day life experience are buried under layers and layers of deception. It’s the enemy’s primary tool. It’s how he keeps hatred, arrogance, crime, poverty, family dysfunction, toxic relationships, anxiety, shame, anger, resentment, and every kind of problem entrenched. Heaven rips away every layer of that deception and leaves us with the soothing, healing, comforting truth.
#6. No more hurts. No more goodbyes. No more disease. No more pain. No more bad days, bad moods, bad experiences. All of that hurt is gone.
#7. God will be there. The better you know God, the more meaningful this is to you. You’ll discover how good He is, how kind He is, how wise He is, how strong He is, how much He loves you.
One final thought. Reread the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Our job is not only to put people on the train to heaven; it’s also to bring heaven to earth. What is God asking you to do today to help bring that about?
Be encouraged!
Dwight
