I'm Not Dying to Go to Heaven

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2

""People are just dying to get in there," my husband said in his familiar deadpan tone as we drove past a cemetery, and I have to admit I laughed a little harder than I should have.

Speaking of dying to get into somewhere, wanna know where else people are dying to get into?

Heaven!

But not me.

It's not because I don't believe in Heaven. I do!

It's just I know this life is real.

In this reality, I can hug and kiss my family. I can eat way too much Fisher's popcorn. I can laugh at stupid jokes. I can cry watching a video of a stranger ringing the bell after their last chemo treatment. I can fall asleep reading faster than I can when I'm not reading. I can smell the calories and comforting aroma of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies as their scent wafts into every room of the house.

Other than a headstand, there's only one thing I can't do in this real life of mine and that's wrap my head around the reality of one day not living here but actually living in Heaven. (Okay, there's a lot of things I can't do in this life, but you get my point.)

Did you know the Bible mentions Heaven in 54 of its 66 books?  That alone should bolster a firm faith in the reality of Heaven. Somehow though, I still ride the struggle bus when it comes to earnestly desiring to one day live where our Creator and Savior are.

My desires seem to be influenced by my present reality, not my future reality.

It's easy to allow our desires to be influenced by what we know to be real, isn't it?

For instance, because I know this life is real, my desires are to be healthy and live a comfortable life — have enough money to buy groceries, take vacations, spoil grandkids and just not worry about finances. I also desire a relatively drama-free life with no MS and no interpersonal relationship issues.

I don’t think that’s being unreasonable.

It is, however, being unrealistic.

What I should truly be desiring is wanting to be in the Heaven mentioned in over 81% of the Bible because there all the things I'm desiring here are a reality!

What would happen if we started to desire what we believe is real - like Heaven - but just haven't experienced yet?

Maybe instead of allowing what we know to be true to influence our desires, desiring what is yet to be true will influence us; changing the way we live today.

If Heaven wasn't real, Jesus would have told us, as He said in John 14:2.

If Heaven wasn't real, I don't believe Jesus would have ever showed up. There would have been no need to reconcile us to God.

I'm not dying to go to Heaven, although I should be because when we desire Heaven, we are ultimately desiring to be with Jesus. I just can't seem to get my heart to embrace what my mind already believes.

How about you?

Does the future reality of Heaven influence your desire for it, or are you like me and your desires are more influenced by your reality today?

Maybe we don't know enough about Heaven to really desire it and that's why I thought we could take the month of September to study it.

Get excited, we're Heaven bound!