What Is the Focus of Your Life?

For those who have accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior and the Lord of their life, the Lord wants us to treasure heaven and set our hearts on it long before we ever get there.

Puritan Baxter said: "A heavenly mind is a joyful mind: this is the nearest and the truest way to live a life of comfort... Can your heart be in heaven and not have comfort?"

C.S. Lewis noted: "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He taught us to pray, "may your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Matt 6:10. Those prayers that ultimately make us joyful are NOT, "God, give me what I want," or "Please make my life on this earth better." No, they are: "Lord, what do YOU want? How can I serve you? What do you want me to do for You and Your Kingdom today?" When we treasure heaven, we're one step closer to the One Who makes it heavenly.

As we give ourselves to God, He has a way of helping us understand that the story He started long ago in our lives will end well, no matter what. He promises: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6. We can have the attitude of the faithful lady who slipped on the ice. As she fell on her backside the first words out of her mouth were, "well, praise Jesus anyhow!"

Expect the probability that the road ahead will be bumpy and irregular. Nonetheless, we will get there, because His grace holds us up and will never let us go. That's the beauty of it all. I am reminded of the elderly woman who left instructions with the mortician to put a fork in her hands when he placed her in the casket. "Why on earth would you want that?" he asked. "When I was a girl and we had family dinners, Mom always told us to hang onto our forks as we put our plates away, because the best was yet to come, meaning dessert. Well, I want everyone at my funeral to know the best really is yet to come!"

WHEN WE'RE HAPPILY AFTER FOREVER, WE LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!