My Idea of Heaven

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Living with God in heaven forever is our victory over death. God prepares our hearts for what is to come. Three months ago I did a six week Bible study with Bille, my exchange student from Germany, called “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn.

Not only did this study exhilarate us, bring us closer to each other and God, and help us become more comfortable praying out loud with one another - we both learned so much about what the Bible says about the present heaven. It’s helped comfort me when I think about my own “death” and to imagine all the phantasmagorical things my dad must be doing right now.

Not all that long ago, there was a time when I knew of heaven, much like I knew of Christ, but it was more of a “head knowledge.” Now I have more of a sense of heaven in my heart because God’s revealed a tiny bit of insight through that Bible study.

I had this naïve view that we would just sleep all the time and/or float around on clouds playing harps and singing hymns I don’t like. Boring. I don’t like to admit this, but I almost didn’t look forward to this place the Bible calls heaven because nothing about the idea I had in my finite mind thrilled me. I can be so simple-minded.

I’ve often asked God many questions, such as: How can life get better than my best days here? How can I possibly have a job I’m passionate about and be equipped to perform it to the best of my abilities? How can I be expected to be excited about a place that doesn’t have the same comforts I do now?

God’s answer seems to be: why do you think so little of me? Thank goodness I’m not in charge of the universe, even if I seem to forget this at times. My idea of heaven would be pretty pitiful.

Right before he died, John Newton, the author of the infamous hymn “Amazing Grace” wrote, “I am still in the land of the dying; I shall be in the land of the living soon.”