No Earthly Good

During a morning prayer meeting with the Student Development staff the question was asked “Are you so heavenly minded that you are no earthly Good?” And this has stuck with me and gotten me to thinking. To my shame I have realized that my view of heaven is woefully simplistic. I have found that when things get tough I day dream about heaven, but not in the way of seeing it as a place where I can see my Saviour and worship and serve Him for all eternity but rather as a place of escape from the troubles and sufferings of this world.
Reading in Colossians 3 I read that as a believer I should seek the things that are in heaven and set my mind on the things above. Perspective. So much of the Christian life is just that…..perspective. And this is where I often times find my self in the wrong. Rather than viewing heaven as a place where I can escape earthy troubles I need to see heaven as giving correct perspective to the temporary troubles of this life on earth. To “set my mind” on things above educates me that life’s troubles are simply temporal in contrast to the eternal life I shall live in heaven. Heaven brings a perspective of hope: that the life and trials on earth are refining you and I for life eternal in heaven. Not to sound cliché but it is the journey that matters. We are no longer children of this world, but children of heaven and we are forced to live hear as aliens. Aliens who understand the customs and culture but asked to live in it with a view of heaven to come.
It is a daily battle especially in the easily distractible world you and I live in. We have a plethora of entertainment options and are bombarded daily with materialism and the concept that by having more stuff on earth we will feel better and rest easy. But this is not the case, more stuff just brings clutter in our lives. I am not saying we need to get rid of all luxuries but saying you and I need to find a balance, and I guess I am speaking more to “I” that to “you” so much. Now don’t take me wrong I have not found that balance or claim to be living in such a way where I have a biblically accurate view of life on earth with a view of heaven. What I am saying is that I understand my deficiency and striving to find and maintain a balance.
(And I say all this with the view of many gifts under the tree with my name on them and I comfort myself with the fact that it is more blessed to give than to receive and by receiving so many gifts so joyfully I will not be denying my friends and family their blessing. :) )