By Caro November 24, 2023
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about heaven or what we will do during our eternity with God. But one thing is certain, we will always be in the Presence of God. Are you ready for this?
As Christian ministry leaders, we often hear all kinds of negative comments about Sunday morning services. “I don’t like worship time, I’m not a singer, so I only come for the preaching.” Or: “I don’t want to be a member of a church, they are all hypocrites!” Or even: “Praying is boring, I always fall asleep when I start praying.” Hearing these comments, we wonder what these people will do in heaven! It will be a very boring eternity for them because we will spend our time in praise, prayer, and surrounded by other believers!
Once we have given our lives to God, our time on Earth should be a simple rehearsal of what we will do in heaven. To this, we should add our mission here on Earth, the task that God gives us to accomplish for Him, thanks to the talents He has given us (Ephesians 2:10). In short, here we should spend our days serving God and taking breaks to snuggle into God’s arms in our times of prayer and Bible reading. That is what Jesus did! His prayer times were not a chore, they were His recharge station. Even if we are not in full-time ministry, or working a secular job, we are still serving the Lord wherever we are, always ready to share the Gospel or at least be a witness to His goodness.
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, the verse Matthew 6:10 (KJV) says: “May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven.” Think about it: do angels do whatever they want, however they please? Obviously not! So how could a Christian choose to do as they please? How can two Christians that are dating follow their carnal desires instead of following what God has told them to do in His word (Romans 8:5-9)? We are in a mantle of flesh, so yes, the apostle Paul said it well, we are in constant battle with the desires of our flesh and those of the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). Hence, often, our need for repentance and the invaluable help of our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).
But when a person calls themselves a Christian and doesn’t like to pray, there is something wrong. If spending time in the Presence of God is boring, then the life of Christ is definitely not in that person’s heart (or they haven’t learned to pray!). Or when two Christians are dating each other exactly like all worldly couples without any remorse, there is only one conclusion: the Spirit of God is no longer there. Because yes, by living like the world, we can lose our connection with God (Judges 16:20, Psalms 51:13). If our relationship with God is dry, parched, we need to remedy it quickly. Because how can we spend eternity in this state?
We should look forward to our future eternal life with anticipation, and excitement. It will be so wonderful to spend all our time praising God, talking with Him, and hearing the testimonies of other believers! Our daily times of devotion are our charging station, our little moments of paradise here on Earth. If you are running away from these “rehearsal” times because they bore you, you are definitely on the wrong path. “I correct and punish those whom I love. So be eager to do right, and change your hearts and lives. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me. Those who win the victory will sit with me on my throne in the same way that I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelations 3:19-21 NCV). If you don’t know how to delight in God’s Presence, ask your pastors for help. These personal moments with God are a glimpse of heaven, and once you begin to enjoy these moments of pure happiness, you will always want to go back!