If youve ever spent much time reading Think magazine, youve probably read about the #1 goal we believe every family needs to teach their children. Each child needs to be brought up with the goal of reaching heaven, and their second goal in life should be to take as many along with them as possible. Of course, those goals arent just for children - they are goals we should all carry as lifelong desires. What I want to look at today are the reasons why we hold those goals and the progression we should see in our perception of heaven as we grow stronger as Christians. This may not be true for everyone, but in many cases one of the first motivations for submitting to Gods salvation is fear. As a person begins to develop an understanding of Gods existence, the Bibles authority, and the importance of eternity, fear is a natural response. After all, if there is a God, if He has spoken to us through His Word, and if their really is something after this life, then at that point we understood that we stood outside of Gods grace, with hell the only destination He could give us then. The Bible speaks often about fearing God (in more than just a reverent sense) as the one who can put both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). Were also told that it is a fearful thing to fall into His hands (Hebrews 10:31). Fear should always stick with us, but it also must be developed into a deeper appreciation for heaven as we grow in our knowledge of the Word. The second motivation for getting to heaven is an appreciation of heaven itself. When you become a Christian and begin to submit yourself to His will, it doesnt take long before the pull of the world starts to weigh on you. Its at that point that heaven starts to become more appealing. A land of rest prepared for Gods own people with no more sin, sickness, or sorrow is what we all hope for once we start fighting against those things every day. However, the combination of fear that drives us to avoid the other eternal judgment and a hope for a land of rest still comes short of the ultimate hope we should place in heaven. The third motivation, the one that we develop more and more as we grow in our walks as Christians is the desire to be with God, nothing more, nothing less. The question has been asked before (and I think its one worth frequent consideration), If you took away all of the promises about heaven aside from the fact that you get to spend eternity with Jesus, would you still want to go? This is where our ultimate desire for getting to heaven needs to be focused, because it is at the point where we cant imagine living a day without Jesus that heaven becomes our greatest desire for that reason above all others. This is why we are to store up our treasures in heaven. This is why we are to delight ourselves in Him that He may give us the desires of our hearts. When Jesus becomes the desire of our hearts, we will want nothing more out of this life or the next. Do you want to get to heaven? Have you made that your #1 goal in life? Why do you want to get to heaven? Are you pursuing those blessing each and every day, and are you taking others with you as you go? As former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said, The secret to success is constancy to purpose. Keep that goal in mind and pursue it with all of your heart every single day. We cant earn our way into heaven by doing the right things, but it is important that we want to get there for the right reasons. Above all else, pursue a relationship with Jesus on earth that replicates the one you will have with Him in heaven someday as closely as possible. - Brad Harrub
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:00:42 +0000
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