Everyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior has specific ideas about the kingdom of heaven and how it impacts our world. What we believe on a heart level determines the way we act, get motivated, and prioritize. In a world where everything fights for our attention, it is easy to get caught up in the fray. Too often we respond to the “tyranny of the urgent,” that in the scheme of things isn’t really that urgent. So what are some ways that we can keep our eyes on the truth of heaven and still have a benefit on earth? How can we avoid being “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good?” There are three principles that can greatly empower living for heaven while here on earth. Those are Relationship with God, Developing Character and Integrity, and Setting Goals with Disciplines to Achieve Them.
Relationship with God
One of the very common phrases that has arisen in the past fifty years in Christianity is “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.” We in the West have a deep-seated belief that religion is a mere human effort to get right with God. Whereas our access to God is not through ritual and unbending tradtion, but rather through a relationship with Him.
Here is where it can get fuzzy. It is common for the very Christians who say it is a “Relationship” to continue to act like it is something other. A relationship is composed of two persons developing a deeper and greater knowing of each other. Since a relationship with God is very unique, in that we can’t see him in front of us, it is very easy to develop our own ideas about God. We then begin to relate to our idea of God rather than the God who is there. This can lead to skewing of our concept of relationship.
In right relationship, we hear and are heard. We know and are known by one another. Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” He also said, “If you love me, you will obey my commands. My command is that you love one another. This seems to be where the biggest criticism and breakdown is regarding the modern church. All too often we hold more to our doctrines than to our love. Am I willing to deny the divinity to Christ in order to love my neighbor? Definitely not! Yet I will not demand someone hold certain theological views before I build a relationship with them. If my doctrine is a stumbling block to my ability to love and respect another human being made in God’s image, then something isn’t right. My practice has become more religious than it has relational.
The reason people struggle with so many theological topics is precisely due to a breakdown in relationship. If I have a problem with God sending someone to Hell, it is because I am relating to my idea of God rather than the God who is. If I spend more energy trying to figure out the end times than I do living out the Sermon on the Mount, I am relating to an idea of God and not the God who is. Is it important to be aware of the end times and the reality of Hell? Yes. To do it right, we have to relate to the God who is, not our idea of God. We do that through relationship.
Relating to God requires dialogue. There is a time for us to speak and He listens. There is a time for us to listen and He speaks. He move heaven and earth and sacrificed His Son in his intention to know us. We too must approach God with intention. Just like when we approach a romantic interest or a potential friend, we must be clear in our minds what we are intending. So it is when we relate to God. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” How often do we neglect the exhortation to “Be still and know that I am God?” We can only hear him speak when we stop talking and stop listening to the worldly noise around us. Like with Elijah, God often speaks in a still small voice that we must turn our attention to in order to hear, to listen, to believe, and to obey.
Character and Integrity
The second thing we do to live for heaven is developing our character and integrity. No character is proven without trial. It is when we are tempted and withstand it that our character is built and our integrity is proved. Does that mean we put ourselves in the path of temptation? No. That would be foolish. Our lives are full of trials that test our integrity and character. Nearly all of it is relational. It takes far more courage and strength to admit when one is hurt and feel disrespected than it does to repay evil for evil (i.e. retaliating, being passive aggressive, being aggressive). It takes a denial of self to tell someone in a respectful way that their actions or words were hurtful. It is far easier to lash out in verbal or physical assault or even to be passive-aggressive toward them. There is a way to call a spade a spade in a respectful way, to be honest with how someone’s behavior affects us, and to still be loving. That is where our character and integrity as Christians can be powerful and profound.
Like in ancient Israel, there are times when we use our strength to put down those whose behavior has continually destructive effects. That is the other side of the coin of Character and Integrity. Isaiah talks of the acceptable fast. We use our strength to protect the weak, the vulnerable. The Epistle of James tells us “to know what is right and not do it is sin.” Our strength is used to build up relationships and protect relationships. It is living this purpose out that we partner in bringing heaven to earth and develop our character and integrity.
When we face difficulty in the workplace with co-workers and supervisors, there are opportunities to exhibit character and integrity. It may be very tempting to retaliate. That is where we have an opportunity to exhibit Christ-likeness to those who don’t love us. In businesses, there are protocols regarding unethical and illegal behavior. If addressing the issue with the individual and/or supervisor doesn’t work, following the protocols are the next step. Always let your motive be about doing the right, God-honoring thing. In doing so, our character and integrity will be made. Remember, our hope in is the resurrection of Christ, not in the opinions and actions of people at work.
Parenting is another place to exhibit character and integrity. We always treat our children with respect and dignity. We speak life into them and not negativity. We encourage their positive behavior and discourage the negative behavior. Remember, psychologically, it takes about 14 positives to overturn one negative. Remember that in dealing with children. For every 1 negative statement or reaction, 14 positives will be needed to bring the balance back.
Goals and Discipline
It is easy to get caught in the moment of living in the routine day to day things. Part of our vocation as Christians is to continually grow in our maturity of faith. Whether it is through learning, practicing, finance, etc. We are to be on a path of growth. How do we grow in living for heaven? We partner with God. In the relationship aspect with God, we are to listen to what his heart is for us. What is He desiring in our lives? When we find out what that calling or vision is, we partner with him in setting up a strategy to get there. We do that by setting goals and disciplining ourselves to reach it. Goals are the small steps of achievement that get us to fulfilling the vision in our lives. If I want to have a better prayer life, I can set a goal to be more consistent in my morning prayer routine. It takes about six weeks to develop a new habit. So I can set my goal for 15 minutes of prayer and Bible reading. Then I discipline myself to make that happen everyday for six weeks. Then my habits adapt to account for it. After six weeks it should become easier to keep up the 15 minutes of prayer. At which point, I could opt to increase the time, or focus on maintaining it while I tackle another goal to turn into routine.
Goals are the best way to get anything accomplished from personal growth to personal skill and project development. Goals do take discipline. I continue to say “we need to get past the idea that discipline equals spanking. The association with punishment to discipline works negatively in terms of our growth. A better concept is to associate discipline with delayed gratification. The more I put off pleasure for now, the greater the pleasure later. Discipline is hard. It is a matter of conforming our body and our desires to our will. At the end of the day, when we set goals and discipline ourselves to achieve them, we grow. Even the setting of goals and putting the effort forth to accomplish them can become a fulfilling growth experience and a new disciplined routine.
When our goals are the outcropping of our conversations with God, we are investing in the kingdom of heaven and fulfilling our purpose on the earth. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” If our treasure is in heaven, our dreams, visions, goals and disciplines will be geared toward that. So let’s take time as we round into 2017 to see what vision the Lord has for us. Let us learn that vision through listening prayer. From the answer, let us set a staircase of goals to get there. Then let us discipline ourselves to get there.
Have a Happy New Year!!!