Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Getting Ready for Heaven
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...
—Matthew 6:20
Heaven is a place in the future of every Christian, and I want to know—are you prepared? Are you really ready to go?
I don’t just mean, do you have the hope of heaven? That’s part of it. Trusting in Christ also means recognizing that your life on earth should count for something and you should lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.
Every thing you have on earth will be left behind. But Jesus told us if we were wise, we would “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20–21). This means as Christians we will one day receive rewards for our faithful service to the Lord.
What are you doing for Christ? Are you using the gifts He has given you? Are you serving Him?
I have found the best way to live the greatest life in this world is to be more concerned with the next one. C. S. Lewis said, “Aim for heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
So as I aim at heaven, as I am thinking about fellowshipping with the Lord, earth will be thrown in. I can have the greatest life on this earth—not because I am trying to obtain happiness or fulfillment, but because I am trying to walk with God and please Him.
The fringe benefit of living life for the next one is I can have a happy, fulfilled life doing it.
Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.
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