Restoring Hope: Why Being Heavenly Minded is not a Bad Thing

You've probably heard the phrase, "Don't be so Heavenly-minded that you are no Earthly good." It's a philosophy that my generation has fully embraced. To talk to a 20 or 30-something year old Christian is to learn that Heaven is great, we look forward to getting there someday, but our lives are to be about the hear-and-now!

It's not that we are trying to live worldly, it's just that we see it as our responsibility to make the biggest impact we can on this world for Christ. That is why foster care and adoption are becoming more popular among young Christians... why seminary students dream of planting churches in large cities as opposed to accepting the pastorate at a rural church. It's why the younger generation's worst nightmare is settling into a middle-class job for 20 years, and living in a mid-sized town somewhere in the Midwest. We have dreams, we want to leave our mark, and young Christians want to make sure they have done something extraordinary to impact the world for Christ.

Lost in all this is our hope for where we will be in eternity. We believe we are going to Heaven, we just don't think about it that much. This lost hope can result in discouragement when the ventures and efforts of the superChristian aren't panning out.

So, there I am... a foster parent, and a father to three of my own children... working to plant a church in Brownwood, Texas (not exactly the big city, but I love it anyway), and doing everything I can to preach the Gospel publicly, and to support my community through the local chamber of commerce.

How's it going? The church's finances are in the red. My personal finances are tight. I can't remember the last real date I had with my wife (actually, I can. We ate out and spent time together during a Weekend To Remember Retreat in the Woodlands). Still, if My wife and I suddenly had a night alone together, I'm not sure I'd know what to do. So, all this stuff has been weighing on my mind. What am I doing wrong? Why won't God bless my efforts?

Then, my beautiful daughter jumps in my car, and rides shotgun on the way home from an outing in Abilene. She pops in my Brad Paisley "5th Gear" CD, and his rendition of "When We All Get To Heaven" comes on. That peaceful, reassuring hymn reminded me that God has it all in the palm of His hand. Sunday night, on the way home from church, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" came on KHBW (KHCB) radio. These two experiences reminded me that, despite all the battles of the day, and despite all the challenges I face, God is still on His throne. He will return. He will establish His Kingdom on Earth, and He will receive me into that Kindgom, and not because of anything I have done. My entry into that Kingdom is not contingent on my success. My entry into that Kingdom is due to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and He rose again to give me eternal life.

After this "Revelation," my heart rate slowed a bit, and my blood pressure dropped. God has it all in His hands, I need only be obedient during my time here on Earth. Following my time here on Earth, I will be received into His Kingdom, where He will wipe away my every tear and give me an eternal home.

So, the next time you visit a church, and they get out the "Heavenly Highway Hymns," don't roll your eyes. Use that time as an opportunity to remember your hope, your confident expectation that God has already secured the victory, and you will be received into Heaven. Knowing that should remind you that He is in control of all things, and thus will conquer whatever you face on your behalf.

I'll close with a quote from a famous philosopher who has recently passed away, "Keep looking up, because that's where it all is."