Heaven-Colored Sunglasses

A few years ago, while serving as a Youth Pastor, I opened our midweek youth service the way thousands of youth groups begin – with an ice breaker. In this game I had several pictures on a power point presentation that would be revealed piece by piece until the entire image was uncovered. The object of the game was to guess what the picture was before the entire image was revealed. If a student could successfully identify the pictures before the image was revealed they would win a free youth ministry T-Shirt.

                I asked for a volunteer and a little fifth grade girl raised her hand with an excitement like she was playing for a thousand dollars. I called her up and she quickly made her way to the stage. She had no problem identifying the pictures and made it all the way to the very last round. In the final stage, I had a picture of Mickey Mouse with only a small portion of his ears showing. It took everything in me to keep the audience silent, as to not give away the answer. She took some guesses but could not figure out what the image was. Because she was simply adorable, I gave her a hint. I said, “It’s the happiest place on earth.” Without hesitation and with brightness in her eyes she yelled out, “Heaven?!”…She won the T-Shirt.

                All our lives we have been taught that Heaven is the place where we rest eternally in the very presence of God. It is a peaceful and joyous place as there is no sickness, sorrow, sin or separation in Heaven. Every tear will be wiped away and we will no longer suffer from the constant wiles of the devil. When family members or friends pass away, we often comment on how they “Are no longer suffering” and “are dancing with the angels.” This is all real and comforting truth; however it is my firm conviction that we don’t have to wait until we get to Heaven to experience the realities of Heaven. In the model of prayer that Jesus gave to us in Matthew 6:10, He says, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

                When Christians refer to what Jesus has done for them, it is always spoken in past tense. We say things like, “Jesus died for all my sins” or “I was a sinner but now I’m saved.” Yet, our daily lives do not seem that much different than those who do not know Jesus. We accept sickness, depression, anger, sin and many other things of the devil with no consideration as to what God has freely given to us and enabled us to do. The powerful truth is that we do not have to live a miserable, defeated and hopeless life.

                My soul comes alive when I am reminded in Scripture of all that I have in Christ, who He is to me and of my identity in Jesus. It’s as if my spirit screams in agreement when I read passages like:

•             I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)

•             I am more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37)

•             The devil has been completely defeated (1 John 3:8)

•             Nothing is too hard for God (Genesis 18:14)

•             I have every Spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

•             The Same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives is in me (Romans 8:11)