According to Scripture, heaven is a real place for real people who do real things. The Bible is very clear in pointing out that heaven is a city. Heaven is a country. Heaven is a garden. Heaven is a paradise. Heaven is a place. It is where we will be reunited with loved ones who have preceded us. Heaven is a place of activity, building, eating, worshipping, and much more. The Bible teaches that one day heaven will come to earth.
The Bible tells us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Here are three sins that keep us from being heavenly minded.
Practical Principles
- Sexual sin keeps us earthbound. This speaks of sexual immorality in general. It refers to any form of illicit sex: extramarital sex, premarital sex, homosexual sex. Let me simplify it for you. God’s for order for sex is one woman and one man. Monogamous. Married. End of story.
- Idolatry, or covetousness, keeps us earthbound. This speaks of a person who always wants more. The covetous person is never satisfied with what they have. They want what someone else has. Contentment is key, and it is found in your relationship with God.
- Anger, meanness, and slandering others keeps us earthbound. This is speaking of a person that has a deep-seated anger. It also speaks of a person that flies off of the handle. I have an acronym for you to use before you speak: THINK: Is it Truthful? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it Kind?
Relevant Reminders
- If you could read your own obituary today, what do you think people would remember you for? What would be written about you?
- We don’t determine the date of our birth and we don’t determine the date of our death, but we have everything to say about what happens in between those two dates.
- If you can’t write “Hallowed be Thy name” over what you are doing, then don’t do it anymore.
- It is not always bad to want more. I encourage you to want more—of the right things. More of Jesus. More opportunities to glorify God. More spiritual fruit. That is a good thing.
Applicable Actions
Think heaven! If you really start thinking more about and seeking heaven, which is to say, putting the Lord first in every area—from the thoughts you think to the friends you choose to the way you use your time—it will transform you. C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
