Wouldn’t it be great if we could create our own little personal version of heaven on earth?
Imagine everything falling into place just as we want it to be! Our relationships with spouse and family members magically become fulfilling and joyful at all times and without a lot of effort. Everything just clicks. Suddenly there’s enough money to do everything we need to do and want to do with it. Imagine a dream house, dream car, dream vacation destinations, dream job that is extremely satisfying. We don’t struggle any more with vices, body image issues, anger, doubt, insecurity, pain, loss and a million other nagging problems and instead we are happy, content, satisfied, with an on-top-of-the-world feeling. What would your personal heaven on earth look like and feel like?
So often isn’t that what drives us? If I work hard enough, if I yell loud enough, if I plan it all out perfectly, if I pray properly, if I do everything right…if I overcome this, if I achieve that goal….I should at least get a step closer to my own personal heaven on earth.
Or…if that doesn’t work, at least I can do everything to appear perfect. Then I’ll look like I’ve got it all together. I have no weaknesses, nothing anyone can say against me and maybe that will help me feel closer to how I want to feel all the time.
Isn’t it sad how we lose perspective? Isn’t it sad how we repeat the first sin over and over again–how life becomes all about how I can serve myself, improve my life at the expense of truly serving God and following his word? What if God just gave us our own little heaven on earth? It would be the most unloving thing he could possibly do! Every problem, stress, pain and set-back is a loving reminder that this earth is not how God intended it to be. This is not where we belong forever. This is not all there is. If God gave us a perfect life here…we would not need him anymore, we would not see how desperately we need him, we would imagine ourselves invincible, we would ultimately die in our sins and end up in hell.
Those who know and trust in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and the one who sacrificed himself for the sins of the world and donated his perfect record in the place of each and every ruined, sin-wrecked human life, (including mine and yours) already have heaven on earth! No. It doesn’t look like it. It doesn’t feel like it. In fact, it often feels exactly the opposite. We have struggles and problems, feel insecure and ruined. We see how we fail and we continue to struggle with selfishness, pride, anger, doubt and so many other sins. That’s okay! That’s how it must be. This world is not our true home and all our efforts to build some kind of lasting, beautiful, satisfying “good life” here are bound to fail and often distract us from what really matters: God’s love for us and the future he’s prepared for us and thanking him with a life spent in his service and to his glory. We look forward to experiencing that heaven when God calls us home from this sin-ruined existence.
And so now, the perspective is so different! If my goal is serving God, I no longer expect my life to be some kind of perfect existence, I no longer need to complain, get frustrated, yell, wallow in self pity or freeze in doubt when something doesn’t go my way or when life gets difficult. Instead I can fall to my knees and thank God for giving me another reminder that he’s in control and I’m not and that this life is temporary. I can let him drive me back into his Word and relish his perfect promises and cling to them as the problems and stresses of life wash over me. I can let his truth refresh me and then go out and do what he’s put in front of me to with the confidence that only he can give and the knowledge that he does all things for my good!
Here’s a few passages that really speak well to this whole topic:
Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is yourlife, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose.
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
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