Citizens of Heaven
I've realized that the urge to write one of these blogs always stems out of feelings of frustration, confusion, and the inability to know what to do next. They come out of a place where I stop and think: there is nothing else to do now besides turn to the Lord, because most likely I haven't been there in a little bit. Well, as you probably guessed, today is one of those days. There is so much to do here at RecycloCraftz, especially as we look for another faithful team member. It feels as if I could spend my whole day planning what to do next opposed to actually doing anything. There's something in my brain that is wired to compartmentalize, plan, and then execute and when it seems as if there is too much to plan and not enough of me to go around to execute that plan, I end up standing still staring at the jumbled attempts at calendars, budgets, and to do lists.
So today as my brain came to a screeching holt, filled to the brim with unfinished projects, the Lord in his kindness led me to my devotionals (shout out to New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, get this book! Linked bellow). The devo today was centered on our future home in heaven. It talked mostly about how the Lord uses fearful, weak, disloyal, and deceived people to accomplish his glorious purposes. Why in the world would God do that? Well for starters, he doesn't have much of an option considering that we are all sinners and every single one of us has exhibited one of those traits listed above. More importantly though, He uses us to show us that this story is not about us. The Bible and its characters are not meant to point us to their courageousness and wisdom, they are meant to point us to a kind, compassionate, wise, and powerful God. It is pointing forward, not to where we'll be in ten years, but where we'll be in Glory.
The devo led me to read Revelation 19:
"Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,
has begun to reign!
Let us be glad, rejoice,
and give him glory,
because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife
has prepared her self.
She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure."
As Tripp so elegantly states: listen to what the voices on the other side celebrate! They rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ because we have received reconciliation. We have prepared our selves by His grace, and have been given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.
This chapter, as with most chapters in Revelation, would turn some heads with its language about Heaven and the Lord. Language such as robes of blood, beasts, sharp swords coming out of mouths, the lake of fire, etc. It is natural for us to read through this and wonder if this is the same book we have always been reading. However, once we jump over the hurdle of unfamiliar language we can see the awesomeness of what heaven will actually be like. It will not be a place of clouds and rainbows. It will be a place of God's awesome glory on display and there is nothing soft or unoffensive about that. The beast will be slain and thrown into the lake of fire by our Lord riding on the back of a white horse wearing a robe stained with blood. That is what the saints above are celebrating.
How about that for some perspective? If after all this, we spend the rest of eternity celebrating the defeat of the evil one and the eternal worship of our glorious King; where should our sites be set now? On our minuscule projects, jobs, schedules, and other things? I'd think not, but where do our minds often settle themselves? Most likely precisely on those things. Sometimes I think it's easier to settle in there where I have some semblance of control and understanding, than on something that is so clearly beyond me. However, that's exactly what lands us wandering aimlessly in the tangled mess of plans gone wrong and schedules gone awry. Because, unfortunately, even the things we think we can control are too big for us. And it is a lie to believe that we can control them. That's why we must keep our eyes up and forward. At least if we're there we know that the wonders of the world to come are completely out of our control and it forces us to acknowledge the glory and power of the Lord. Revelation forces us to be reminded that there are much bigger things going on in this world, and it is a sin to be forgetful of that.
However, this should not lead us to a place of indifference with the lives that we are living in right now. Striving forward is meant to keep us moving forward with our feet on the ground, not soaring above the lives and circumstances we are in now. It was very tempting for me to read this and think, "okay, I've got it, just drop every responsibility and plan that I've been worrying about and just meditate on the new heavens and the new earth until they actually arrive". That is not the solution, doing that would blind me from the beauty and goodness that the Lord has provided me with here. There is purpose in this life, if there was no purpose God would not have dropped us all here and made us live through these lives. Our God is not wasteful or careless. This life has meaning. The Lord sent his son here to live amongst us, there must be more to it than running through it so we can get to the end. But what's the balance? What's the balance with striving forward, eyes up, towards the goal of spending eternity in glory; while keeping our feet on the ground and our hands on the plow working tirelessly with the things God has given us here?
This question led me to Philippians 3. A few weeks ago, my church did a sermon series that walked through Philippians and titled it "Citizens of Heaven" (check it out, linked bellow). Our pastors walked us through what it meant to be physically present on this earth, while living into the promise that our citizenship is indeed in heaven both now and forever.
"Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus... Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus"
That, folks, is the key! We have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. We do not have to figure out the perfect balance of what it is to live on earth and strive towards Heaven. That is the Lord's job in perfecting and sanctifying our hearts to look more like his! It is a mystery as to how we are to work so diligently here, knowing that our end goal is not to stay here. We can hold these two truths together, but not on our own. We must ask him for this ability and trust that he will make it possible.
"They (enemies of Christ) are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself."
We cannot transform our bodies to be prepared for Heaven, only Christ can do that. Only the one who subjects everything to Himself can do that. I hope today is one step towards that glory. I ask that he will keep my hands working tirelessly here bringing glory to his name from those who do not yet know him. But I pray that he will not let the discouragement of this world deceive me, for my citizenship is in Heaven. The battle is won, I will be in glory with my Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I pray for daily grace to cling fast to both of these truths.
-Sarah Black
Resources:
New Morning Devotional by Paul David Tripp-
"Citizens of Heaven" Sermon Series by Sojourn East Community Church- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3ftX76dtOjXEBpNHurwQemG9In3IDgVv