Heaven Can't Wait

This life is filled with things to worry about, and we could easily spend every waking hour of our day worrying. Some of us do just that. But if we're followers of Jesus, we know there's far more to life than the struggles that confront us every day. We know there's life to come that will be worry-free. When Jesus told his disciples to trust him, he was reminding them to look at the big picture. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many rooms ..." (John 14:2). One of the assurances Jesus gave his friends was the real hope of heaven. He was telling them that no matter what happened to them on earth, it would pale in comparison with the life to come. The words of the apostle Paul also remind us of this truth: "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. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Longing for home Deep inside, we all long for this unseen place we've never been. In his book, "The Problem of Pain," C. S. Lewis calls this deep longing "the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want." We all have a longing for heaven, whether we know it or not. And heaven is waiting for the child of God. We have God's promise. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us there (John 14:3), and that's a key element in our comfort here on earth. When you're expecting guests in your home, you prepare the place ahead of time. You might know they like certain books or treats, so you customize the room. That way, when your guests arrive, they'll feel right at home. If we put that kind of effort into preparing a place for our friends, imagine the care God puts into preparing our eternal home! Our dwelling place When Jesus spoke of the place he has prepared for us, I don't think he was talking about bunk beds or cozy cabins. I believe He was referring to the new bodies we'll have when we go to heaven. Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 5:1-3: Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about heaven, probably because it's so far beyond our comprehension. It would be like taking a 3-month-old baby, propping him up with pillows and saying to him, "Now I am going to tell you about Hawaii. Are you ready?" You get out a big book with gorgeous photos of the Hawaiian Islands. "Look. This is the island of Maui. See how nice it is?" The baby is just going to sit there, because he doesn't have the capacity to comprehend the information you're conveying. In the same way, when God speaks of the glories of heaven, there's no way we can fully grasp what lies ahead. Even the apostle Paul, who personally caught a glimpse of heaven said, "And I know that this man - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell" (2 Corinthians 12:3-4). Heavenly hearts Jesus is preparing wonderful homes for each of us, and I find that to be a great comfort, especially in these troubling days. Some may call that "pie in the sky" escapism, but I believe the reality of our future heavenly home helps get us through the trials of this life. And the fact of the matter is when we truly are heavenly minded, we are the greatest earthly good. Those who've done the most for this world have usually had their hearts on the next one. Any honest look at history will reveal that those who have done the most for others are Christians who know the hope of eternal life. They're the ones who have started universities, built shelters and hospitals, and have gone into the war-torn and famine-ridden areas of the world with food, medicine and clothing. Think of men like William Wilberforce, a British politician who had an encounter with Jesus Christ. At first he thought he might be called to go into ministry, but he soon realized he could use his position in British politics to overturn a great evil - slavery. He dedicated much of his life to this cause and ultimately succeeded. His story is told in the powerful film "Amazing Grace." I've heard of a lot of church-affiliated hospitals, but personally, I've never heard of an atheist hospital. ... When we have the comfort of heaven, we put our worries aside and lay down our lives for the welfare of others. We're no longer bound by fear and anxiety, but freed by the promise of new life with God. When our hearts are lightened by this promise, there is no end to the good we can do.