I have been reading a book by John Eldredge titled “Journey of Desire”. The book basically discusses how many people, especially in the church, are killing our God given desires. He invites the readers to search their hearts to re-discover the desires God has placed on their hearts to carry out His will. These desires bring us closer to the Father, simply because He created us and He knows that those desires bring us joy. God can use those desires to reach our fellow brothers or to carry out His amazing plan.
In the chapter I was reading earlier this week, Eldredge asked the question “is heaven going to be like a never ending church service” and how does it make you (the reader) feel? This question hit me like a ton of bricks. I just started thinking in my head, are our modern day church services that we have every Sunday going to be similar to everyday life in Heaven? Will we worship God for 24 hours and then the next 24 hours listen to a sermon from Moses, King David, or even Jesus himself? Of course I’m being facetious, but this is something I have really struggled with.
So what are we going to do when we get to heaven? I have no idea what heaven is going to present as, but it won’t be us sitting in pews for the rest of eternity. Don't get me wrong I am not bashing church at all, because I think it is important to gather together as a believers. In Luke chapter 23 the author is describing when Jesus was on the cross, with the other two criminals crucified beside him. One of the criminals asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus goes into His kingdom. Luke 23: 43 “Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” When I hear the word paradise, so many thoughts flood my mind. I think about palm trees, going to the beach with my family, relaxing with no work to do, peacefulness, and the list goes on. My paradise also includes watching football (don’t judge me), playing with my son, taking my wife out to eat, and talking to the Father. Every person has a different version of paradise. Every person has different God given desires; that’s what makes creation so unique and beautiful. What does your paradise look like, and what desires has God given you?
Whatever paradise comes to mind, think about the paradise God has for you? God loves us so much that He sent his own Son to die for all of us. God wants us to get to paradise, because he wants to be with us, and because He knows Heaven is awesome. I don’t know if we’ll be living in heaven or living on the New Earth, either way the place is going to be sweet. Whatever paradise comes to mind, Jesus’ paradise for you is ten times better. Jesus wants to build you an amazing home in paradise with Him, get to know Him better. I have so many questions about what life looks like after we leave this earth. What will I look like? What age will I be after I die? Will my wife on earth be my next door neighbor? What assignment or job will God have for me? Will we even have jobs? I could probably write hundreds of questions about this.
The thing that gives me the most joy, is knowing that I will be with the Lord. Eternity is not going to look like us sitting in church service for hours and hours upon hours. Eternity is going to include being in perfect harmony with the Lord. We are going to worship the Father the rest of our lives. That worship can include carrying out the assignment that God has for us. Maybe we will sing joyful songs to the Lord at appointed times (I’d love to hear the Angels version of a worship service). Maybe one of our assignments will be to get to know all of our brothers in heaven. Maybe Jesus will find the perfect tasks for you based on all the desires he has given you. I can’t tell you what life looks like we when leave here, but I can tell you that it includes the Father and that is enough for me. I have a feeling that we want be bored though!!
Peace and God bless!
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