Hope

Living In Anticipation

The day before a vacation is always an interesting one. We rush around trying to complete everything that we need to get done so that we can enjoy the festivities. We look forward to what the following days will hold. We talk about our plans – what we will enjoy, what we will do, and what we expect  – and these discussions often fuel our desire for the coming holiday to approach even faster. Anticipating what comes next helps motivate us to do accomplish what we need to do today.

The same is true in our Christian walk. Looking solely at the trials and challenges of this Earth can fill us with dredge, much the same way that our never-ending to-do list can beget the same thing. However, for those that are Christ’s, looking forward to what comes next should motivate us to be about the work that God has called us to today. In the business world, it’s well known that that the days before a vacation are some of the most productive ones as people hurriedly try to clear their desk of lingering issues. For God’s children, knowing that He may call us Home at any moment should prompt us to heartily embrace what He has called us to while we are still here.

While this sounds easy enough, this type of anticipatory living can be difficult. The reasons holidays and vacations are so motivating is that we have clear expectations of what they will be like, and we can rightly anticipate when they will get here. Waiting for Eternity at times feels like it takes an eternity and many Christians haven’t taken the time to rightly understand the benefits of Heaven. Consequently, we fail to fully appreciate what we have to look forward to. However, unlike too many vacations, when we are called to depart from this Earth, Heaven will not meet, but will exceed, our feeble expectations. There will be no disappointments, no hassles, and no delays. We will be in the presence of our King. And that fact alone should prompt us to be about His work and to live this life for His glory.

 

How can we be more intentional about living in anticipation of what Heaven holds?

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Hope

Holding Heaven Close

Recently, I had a conversation with one of my nephews in which we were discussing what we would take from our houses if they were to suddenly erupt into flames. We concocted a scenario in which you could only take one thing and all people and animals had safely escaped from the fire. It’s interesting what you can learn from such discussions. You began to understand not only what people value, but how they go about assigning value. You learn what’s important.

Unfortunately, many Christians think of Heaven simply as God’s compensation for escaping the flames. From this perspective, Heaven is simply the alternative to Hell. It’s a good alternative to be sure, but this viewpoint doesn’t consider the intrinsic value of Heaven. Imagine for a moment that through Christ’s death and resurrection He saved us from Hell, yet instead of preparing a place for us in the place where He dwells, our eternal home was a type of neutral spot where we were safe from the fires of condemnation, but where we were also removed from the majesty of His glory. This is what Heaven is often relegated to in our minds – a place that is simply better than the alternative.

Yet, viewing Heaven in this way is not only inaccurate but dangerous. When this is our perspective of Heaven, it is not a place that we long to be. We are prone to make this Earth our home, thinking that somehow the gifts that we enjoy here – our spouses, our children, our friendships – are better than what Heaven affords. We forget that the goodness of this Earth is just a poor reflection of what Heaven will contain. We hold the treasures of this Earth close and long to remain here, because we fail to recognize that Heaven is far better.

This isn’t to say that we should rush our entrance into Heaven. God, in is infinite wisdom will call us Home in His due time. However, we should be able to echo Paul that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In our minds, Heaven can’t just be the best option for eternity; it must be the best option, period. The things that we are “missing out on” if God calls us Home are far surpassed by the glories and riches of our eternal destination.

C.S. Lewis famously stated:

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

Let’s not relegate Heaven to the sidelines as the best alternative among our eternal options. Instead, let us hold Heaven close, recognizing that as we do so, we will live more Christ-like in this life, and gain far more in the next.

 

How does your perspective change when you hold Heaven close?

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