…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
When we think about “eternal life”, we tend to fast-forward to Heaven. Certainly, that will be a glorious place, something to eagerly anticipate. But Jesus wasn’t talking about just “someday” far in the future. He died and rose again to provide abundant, eternal life immediately. The benefits of Heaven have already begun.
What do we look forward to about Heaven?
God’s Presence
Most of all, we will be in God’s presence constantly. But we already are in His presence. We’re not as aware of it because sin has broken our perception, but He is always here. For those who have accepted Jesus, it is not just that He is with us; His Spirit is even always within us.
God’s Provision
God will provide for all our needs. Jesus is preparing a home for us, and planning a wedding feast to celebrate with us. But God already provides for us. That was Jesus’ point when He talked about how God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers.
God’s Glory
We will worship God, along with all our fellow Christians from throughout the ages. All of our work and play, all of our actions, will honor Him. But that should be true now. It doesn’t matter whether we are washing dishes, changing diapers, or building skyscrapers. Everything we do when living life while following Jesus can be used to glorify Him.
How to Live Eternally, Today
Let’s look closer at some of the passages where Jesus describes what that abundant, eternal life looks like.
Treasures in Heaven
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
We all have a limited amount of resources. There is only so much money, time, and energy available to us. We have to decide how we are going to allocate those resources. If buying or doing “X” means that we cannot also do “Y”, which will we choose?
Jesus says to choose that which lasts. If we are going to live for 100 years, why waste time and money on something that will lose its worth in a week?
Obviously, we do have to buy consumables like food, and we need things like clothes and cars even though they will wear out. But those things are incidental when it comes to long-term investing. What longer term could there be than “forever”? We are to put our time and effort into something that will still matter…not just in 100 years, not even in a million years from now, but for an un-countable, infinite amount of time.
What should that investment be? First and foremost, our relationship with God. He is the constant around Whom all of life will always be centered. Every minute we spend in fellowship with Him will last; not one second is wasted.
A close second priority is others and their relationships with Him. Note: That is only “second” instead of first because we can’t pass along something that we don’t have ourselves. (Remember the airplane emergency procedure is to “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting anyone else.”) Our focus is to be on people, letting them know that they are loved and that the same wonderful life is available to them also. Whatever time, money, or energy we spend toward that end will pay infinite dividends.
Consider the Lilies
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
Luke 12:27
The best we can do for ourselves still does not match what God does for wildflowers. Does that not provide incentive to relax, and give ourselves over to Him for safekeeping?
When Jesus calmed the storm in Luke 8:22-25, the disciples first had to wake Him up. Is there any good reason not to trust God enough to be that relaxed in our own storms?
If we won’t worry or fret or be anxious about anything in Heaven, we don’t have to do so today, either.
Seek the Kingdom First
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-13
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things [physical, material needs] will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
As I write this, we are in the throes of election rhetoric. This election is “the most important one ever” (or at least until the next one!) Elections are important. Human governments have a big impact on our lives…while those governments last.
But no government will last as long as God’s kingdom will. And no government has as much impact on our lives as His kingdom does. We should focus on the kingdom first, and then live (and vote) accordingly.
God’s kingdom will be populated by subjects who honor Him and respect His authority. We can be that kind of subject every day.
Be Prepared
Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes…
Luke 12:35-48
…
Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
We are currently in a “Now, but not yet” transition period. Jesus has secured eternal life for us, but we aren’t in Heaven yet. That makes it too easy for us to lose sight of the truth.
The waiting time while the Master is not visibly present does not mean that He no longer exists. He is still in power, and still active, even when we can’t see Him as clearly as we will some day. He has given us a task to accomplish before He comes back. To live as if He is on the doorstep will result in joy…not just at His return but even during the wait. 1
Bottom Line
Jesus calls us to look up, to see beyond the immediate clutter of day-to-day life. There is a great big eternal world out there, and the current visible world we inhabit is only a portion of it. God has a huge life planned for each of us. He calls us to participate in it along with Him, not “someday” but right now.
…take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…
1 Timothy 6:12
