Life in Light of Heaven

Well the title really says it all I suppose, but where is the fun in that.  At different points in time over the past couple of years I have entertained fleeting thoughts in regards to Heaven and what sort of effect the reality of Heaven has on my life right now.  Fleeting is giving myself too much credit  probably - to say the least my life bears a limited reflection to the one Christ has welcomed us into.  Now, I am not indulging in self-loathing so don't write me off - hear me out - I think many of us neglect the reality of Heaven.  We acknowledge Heaven in a tucked away crevice of our minds, a place we reserve for things we hold to be true that have little to no bearing on our lives.  Think about it.  When was the last time you made a decision where your understanding of eternity bore weight on the decision making process.  Paul talks incessantly about Heaven because eternity provided the framework to define our lives and lense through which we were to view it. 

As modern people living in an overtly compartmentalized world, we think of our lives as being part of current time, and Heaven as being a second life, a restart in some ways and a completely new existence.  I wonder though, if eternity is truly eternity, then by definition all time exists on one contiuum.  Our lives, therefore exist within an eternal contiuum, and not separated from it - I don't live like this is the truth.  I live like the life I am in right now will one day be over and then I will stand before the throne of God and enter into Heaven based on the righteousness of Christ as a separate existence.  This life ends that life begins.  That doesn't sound like eternity to me that sounds like 2 different lives - and though I don't really believe I will live 2 separate lives, I live like I do.

I have been given full access to God through the precious work of Christ on my behalf, and yet  wonder where He is in my life, even catching myself lost in wonder at how amazing it will be to one day be with Him.  Why not now?  What is stopping me from having that intimacy with God right now?  The Thomas in me - the part of me that freely acknowledges Christ with my tongue, but by my actions lives in a way that denies His immediate and intimate presence in my life.  I am so short sighted.  I see life through my Amercanized bubble - being completely obsessed at times with my job, my life, my finances, my hopes and dreams - but my life is a vapor in the eternal spectrum.  If the reality of Heaven truly ruled my life, then I would actually be caught up in this beautiful tension.  I would hold my time on earth loosely, living freely, and while life would retain a sense of brevity, it would gain an eternal element, a seamlessness between our time on earth and the rest of our life in Heaven.

This may seem like a minor tweak, but that is only because words fail me in this moment.  The rejoining of our fragmented lives would give us the opportunity to be eternally-minded allowing us to more brightly reflect the character of Christ while growing ever closer to the heart of our Father.  I believe the implications go far beyond proselytizing, but rather extend into the core of our hearts and minds.  I would love to hear what you think about the impact of eternity on our lives.

Read more...

Path of Least Resistance

In physics, the path of least resistance is a rule that describes the movement of objects through a system.  We know this intuitively in that, water tends to want to travel downhill not uphill and electricity flows through a circut in a path where the resistance is the least.  I behave a lot like that most of the time - trying to find a path of least resistance - and I miss out on so much.

Our culture seems to define what is right or what is good synonomously with what is easy.  The idea that the path of least resistance is the best path for us to take simply misses the point of the journey altogether.  When I look back on the times in my life that have been richest, and most full of life - the ones where I have grown and been challenged, I notice that resistance has been an active participant every step along the way.  Resistance is critical to growth.  Anybody who strives to be in shape realizes this because our muscles are developed through overcoming resistance.  However, a longing exists inside of me to rest, to cease striving, to simply be.  My longing can be satisfied momentarily through a day off, a vacation, time with family or friends, or a chance to pursue a passion.  In the end though, the feeling keeps coming back manifesting iteself in statements like, "I'm exhausted", "I need a break", or simply, "I'm done,"  The true source of the longing is for not just a reprieve, but a cure.  The longing points towards a reality in heaven where everything but existing in the presence of our Maker vanishes.

I bring up heaven because until I put my longing in an eternal perspective it's meaning is difficult to ascertain.  Eventually, a path free of obstacles, hindrances, restrictions and resistance does await me - but that time is not now.  Now, what stares me in the face is a life ripe with resistance and the crazy thing is - its actually good.  Call it a trial, call it refining fire, you can even call it a trial by fire - but the truth is this resistance is meant to be embraced not avoided.   My journey abounds with resistance.  As Ang and I try to sell our house, as I try to sift through the fog surrounding my heart, as I try to understand what story my Creator has written for my life, as I try to understand what it means to be a father, a husband, a man - resistance is everywhere always trying to funnel me back towards ease of motion.  I have to actively engage the resistors that have been set before me because somewhere in that challenge is truth, somewhere in that challenge is life. 

Read more...