So, the question this week is, “Would you be content if Heaven was simply about being in God’s presence and nothing else?” I grew up believing that Heaven was some type of glorious Disneyland where all of the rides were free, all of the food was chocolate, and the entire atmosphere was filled with giggling, running, and jumping. However, the more I read scripture, the more convinced I am that Heaven is not these things. Rather, it is a place where people find joy in being in God’s presence. I once heard it said that “some people have such a view of Heaven that if God actually showed up, they would be annoyed.” So, Heaven with God, a place of happiness or misery?
10/02/2008
Heaven Without Golf Courses or Chocolate
So, the question this week is, “Would you be content if Heaven was simply about being in God’s presence and nothing else?” I grew up believing that Heaven was some type of glorious Disneyland where all of the rides were free, all of the food was chocolate, and the entire atmosphere was filled with giggling, running, and jumping. However, the more I read scripture, the more convinced I am that Heaven is not these things. Rather, it is a place where people find joy in being in God’s presence. I once heard it said that “some people have such a view of Heaven that if God actually showed up, they would be annoyed.” So, Heaven with God, a place of happiness or misery?
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2 comments:
I think that Heaven is definitely the ultimate intimacy with God. But it's hard to completely experience that here. I think in order to explain that unexplainable joy we have to describe it with the simplest pleasures on earth like music or even chocolate lol.
If we don't like being intimate with God now Heaven probably isn't very appealing. We need to develop this longing to be with Him. I think, though, sometimes people's "spiritual" explanations of Heaven are lame too. I've heard people say we'll just sit around and sing forever or stare at God's brightness forever.
Everything we can imagine about Heaven is a mere shadow or rough painting of what the real thing will actually be like. In "The Great Divorce" C.S. Lewis says that artists should have seen their art as arrows to the true depth of what Heaven is to be. It's not the substance.
The real substance is intimacy with God, and every single pleasure we can experience on this Earth is a small picture of what that intimacy will be like. Sometimes I'll eat a really ripe strawberry or see a beautiful landscape and think, "Man, if this world was created only to be destroyed, what will that everlasting home be like?"
I can't wait.
Good words Josh. Thanks!
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