2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Now we look forward with
confidence to our heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend
in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in
heaven with Jesus. We know these things are true by believing, not by
seeing. And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we
will be at home with the Lord. So our aim is to please him always in
everything we do, whether we are here in this body or away from this
body and with him in heaven. For we must all stand before Christ to be
judged and have our lives laid bare—before him. Each of us will receive
whatever he deserves for the good or bad things he has done in his
earthly body.
The Living
Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All
rights reserved.
Spring Break is upon us…and for some
of you, it may already be happening. I hear people talk all the time
about longing for the beach…or a tropical island. Some prefer a
cruise. And in light of all that we have experienced in recent months,
more than a few people have said to us, “You two need to get away
somewhere and relax!”
Can I tell you something? I’ve been on
those kinds of trips. I’ve played on a sandy beach and sailed on a
cruise ship. I’ve skied in snowy mountains and relaxed by a roaring
fire. I’ve enjoyed several days of dining out and having someone else do
the cooking and dish washing. And what I have discovered is that, for
me, nothing compares to home. And ultimately the only place the grass
will truly be greener for me is in the real Paradise…Heaven!
Have
you heard the phrase, “I need a vacation from my vacation!”? It’s true
for many of us…the “earthly pleasures” we seek never quite satisfy.
And they won’t – they can’t! Nothing will compare to what we
experience in Heaven. But here’s the thing…what we do with our earthly
time matters greatly. How we serve, how we react and respond…it all
matters. If we mope around and gripe and complain about our everyday
existence in this earthly life, we are not focused on pleasing God.
Our
daily routine may be dull and boring…or fraught with disappointments
and difficulties. Yes, there are horrific things happening all around
us. Let’s be honest, this earthly life can be pretty crummy at times.
But what matters is how we respond to our circumstances…what we show
others. I am not suggesting that we be phonies…I am reminding us to
stand strong in the LORD!
I know I am preaching to the choir in
many instances…but I am also yanking some of us up by the bootstraps –
myself included! It is time for us to get up and get going…to ask,
“What would you have me do with this, LORD?” The time is NOW to build
our “portfolio” for Heaven…to fill it with the countless ways that we
have glorified God and demonstrated His love and care through the
teachings of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for each of us.
There
is nothing wrong with earthly vacations…or looking forward to them.
But we must always be even more focused on our final destination – and
how we prepare for Heaven. SOMEDAY, each one of us will stand at
Heaven’s gate…present before God and accountable for everything we did –
and didn’t do – on this earth. Your “ticket to Paradise” will be
punched…but not before a “performance review” is conducted. What will
you have to say for yourself…and what will God have to say to you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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