Thinking On Things Above

A few years ago, I bought this book in the audio version to listen to on my iPod as I jogged, walked the dogs, and did yard work.  Over 500 "pages" later, I finished it.  If you ever want to read a book that 1.) will address many questions about Heaven and 2.) will re-orient your life, this is an excellent choice.

If you are reading this and would not call yourself a follower of Christ, the questions that I level at Christians are still applicable.  The question that came to me as I reflected on the notion of home was this: toward what am I most oriented?  I have to determine what my end is in order to know how to orient myself.  If I were to head into the wilderness and had my mind made up that I would travel southwest, a commitment to that direction does me no good if my goal - mountaintop, campsite, whatever it might be - is not found there.  So what is your life oriented toward?  More specifically, is this earth your true home, or perhaps is there something else?  C.S. Lewis spoke to the longing we have for something eternal when he wrote that we betray ourselves when we speak about time.  He notes how we often speak with some sense of shock at the passage of time - how someone has aged or grown, how time passes by so quickly.  A fish isn't surprised by the wetness of water, and wouldn't be...unless it was destined to walk on the land.  In the same way, we should not be so surprised at the passage of time...unless we are destined to exist beyond time, in eternity, in Heaven, with God.

If you are a follower of Christ and are reading this, I offer you Colossians 3:2, a simple but profound line from the Apostle Paul:

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." 

I truly believe that one of the 4 most serious challenges faced by the church today is what we truly believe about Heaven.  When we act like we truly believe in a life beyond this one, we will be transformed and others will be truly drawn to our lives in Christ.

Upon what is your mind set?

- tC

Where Is Home?

What would it look like if your dog got a hold of your new gloves from L.L. Bean and ripped off a finger and a half?  I think it might look like this...

Today, Caroline didn't get enough exercise and so, with her pent up energy, she took apart my new gloves.  It really wasn't her fault - she is just a puppy and doesn't really know any better yet.  I was just home, looking through some files to find some paperwork we needed for our real estate agent, when Jenny called out to me that my gloves had been destroyed.  I finished going through my files and then came out to see the damage.  There they were - one glove completely fine, the other destroyed.

The first thing that came to mind was this passage:

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

- Matthew 6:19-21

Over the next few posts, we will look at the idea of home.  What is the true home of the Christ-follower and, in reality, the intended home for all of humanity?  These gloves reminded me that there is nothing that will last that we can take from this life to the next with the exception of two things: relationships (people) and the Word of God (Matthew 5:17-19).  These gloves, my home, my car, my computer, your home, your engagement ring, your golf clubs, your iPhone - none of it will come with us into eternity.

Do we live like we truly believe this?

- tC

Finding Purpose in Life: Legacy

(Evgeni Dinev - FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Another way we seek purpose in life is through our legacy.  The picture above probably strikes you as it does me - it looks like something that should be in the Lord of the Rings movies.  Here in the U.S., "ancient" ruins like this are often surrounded by a fence and accompanied by some sort of marker that tells us what it is we are looking at.  In Europe, this can also be true, but oftentimes ancient ruins like this can just be found resting on a hillside somewhere, unidentified to all expect the locals who know the true stories.  My brother who lives in France has told me about biking through certain regions where there are old castles, parts in disrepair, that have been uninvestigated for years.  But for any who take a moment to reflect, there would likely stir up thoughts like, "Who built this", "How long did it take to do that hundreds of years ago without our modern construction equipment", and "What was the architect saying by creating this structure?"

There is something within us that desires to last.  The famous poem Ozymandias by Shelley tells just that story, and yet the struggle that we all face in making something truly last.  Just a few weeks ago I spoke to a group and asked them to pay attention to the latest death or even tragedy in Hollywood, and then to see how quickly - no matter how famous the star was - the media moves on past that death on to whatever else is seen as new under the sun.  The reality is even the most famous movie star or athlete seems quickly forgotten by the masses just days or weeks after he or she is gone.  And so one has to reflect, "Can we really leave a lasting impression on this world?  Can we really have a legacy that is of any significance?"

1 Corinthians 15 says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."  

The promise to the Christ-follower is that our life here on earth is just a short stretch of time, and that we will live forever with Him and His people.  The actions of the follower of Jesus today echo into eternity.  There is no unused effort in the eyes of God - all that we do He finds a way to weave together for a great story, a greater good (Romans 8:28).

There is within us a part that aches to know that we have made an impact and that our efforts are not wasted - that what we have done in this life has purpose greater than in just this moment.

The resurrection offers us that hope.

- tC