I just read a line from a devotional book this morning that declared: "this life is the training ground for eternity." It stopped me since it was presenting me with a new thought. For a few moments, I pondered the statement, debating its veracity and questioning the proposition...
It raised a whole new list of questions to consider:
- Is this statement true?
- How is this life a training ground for eternity?
- Will I have assignments to fulfill in heaven?
- Will we still have free will in heaven?
- What will I do with all the time in eternity?
- Do I really need to prepare for eternity?
I'll soon turn 73. The prospect of entering Heaven can't be much more than five or ten years away [few in my family have lived beyond the age of 85]. Is this something I should fear?
This makes me think of Matthew 6:27, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" [NIV]. The implied answer is 'No'!
The only thing I can propose in answer to my query seems too simplistic. Wisdom seems to imply that I might want to use my time on earth to prepare for an eternity in heaven. After all, if I make heaven, I will most assuredly be there for a LONG TIME! 😉
I'll share some scattered thoughts from my brief consideration of this new thought. You can feel free to add your own.
FIRST, the scriptures reveal heaven to be a place of ongoing worship!
Therefore, as part of my 'training for eternity', should I be maximizing my worship time?
Now, don't just think of what happens at 10:30 AM on Sunday morning [you didn't do that, did you?] My worship is a daily practice! I'm in-and-out of the sanctuary of heaven many times in one day [You are too, right?]
After all, I Corinthians 6:19 reminds us: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" [NIV]. We can worship anywhere - anytime! Paul and Silas worshipped at midnight in a jail: "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." [NIV].
If I want to prepare for heaven, I might want to focus on genuine, heartfelt worship!
SECOND, the general impression I get from reading the scriptures is that heaven will be a conflict-free environment.
Therefore, as part of my 'training for eternity', perhaps I should be proactively working on relationships that are conflictual or oppositional.
C'mon, we all have people with whom we just don't align [nicely put, don't you think?]. People that aggravate us; people that we would sooner avoid. But what am I going to do if they wind up being my next-door-neighbor in heaven?
Why not start trying to improve those relationships now, so that arriving in heaven will be less of a shock? 😊
A layman gave me a plan to make a friend out of an enemy. I'd like to share it with you:
- Deliberately and consistently pray for this person!
- Don't avoid them! Look for opportunities to spend time with them.
- Be courageous and ask if you can pray with them!
THIRD, speaking philosophically, eternity is a LONG TIME!
I don't think boredom or stagnation are going to be an issue in heaven. I think the opportunities will be overwhelming!
Think it through: if I am going to be in a timeless environment without the possibility of boredom, then I am going to have the opportunity to learn and grow and expand my skills and understanding.
I sat in a seminary class one day at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. The professor mocked former students by indicating that the last book they read was during their last class at seminary. His implication was that seminary students stopped growing when they graduated. I found his remark to be negative and caustic. I challenged myself that day to be a lifelong learner. My goal was to read a book-a-week for the rest of my life.
[I heard your question.] No, I didn't maintain that goal through the years, but I have read hundreds of books and still read daily as a re-retired pastor. It's one of the best things I can do to prepare for an eternity in heaven! 😊
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Keep thinking on your own!
What changes could you make in the way you are living your life to bring you more in line with training yourself for heaven?
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