“The fact that our heart yearns for something
Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.”
— C.S. Lewis
The first moment we seriously
contemplate the truth that this existence cannot satisfy us, we are compelled
to contemplate the serious thought that Heaven is in our hearts—that Heaven is
our true home.
This life, this broken Earth, this
family arrangement, this job we work in, this church we attend and serve in,
these people we know and journey with, these problems and habits and issues—all
confirm that none of this is perfect. Nothing here is more than a shadow
revealing the true sanctity of our home in Heaven, abroad the spiritual chasm.
Living Intentionally for Eternity
When we take these facts as they
are—that our hearts will go on yearning, unsatisfied with temporary
satisfactions—we know there must be more. And we are comforted that the Bible
promises more. By no means less, has Jesus promised us more.
Eternity has been encrusted, like
a precious jewel, into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Whether we are carnal or spiritual
matters little, when it comes to the desires of the heart. Each of us has
struggles and torments that we would rather avoid, just as each of us has
maladaptive ways of coping. The surrendered Christian is helped, however, by
the Holy Spirit on the journey of spiritual development toward eternity.
As each day passes for the
surrendered Christian, as they practice living intentionally for eternity, they
live in relative joy for the hope of going home one day.
For us, Heaven is in our hearts.
That is for basically all of us, whether we are Christian or not. The key
difference is, some run from truth all their lives. It is good to own the
truth; we cannot be happy here. The more we look for happiness here on Earth,
the more we shall be condemned to isolation, and the more spiritually perplexed
we will become.
Pondering Heaven & Our Purpose on
Earth
This is the Christian’s privilege:
to gaze upon a starry night and wonder for what Heaven is like. Pondering Heaven
and imagining the glorious pleasure of worshipping God there, is enough to put
this life into true perspective.
When this life is viewed in the
context of our eternal home the perspectives of suffering and loss are seen as
part of our purpose. We have a way of living this life that can glorify God,
which is exactly what we will do in eternity.
This life is about the meaning of the next life. This life only
makes sense in the context of the next life.
***
Heaven is in our hearts. We are
desperate deep down for something more. Only Heaven can truly satisfy. And only
through Jesus can we get there.
© 2012 S. J.
Wickham.
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