For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21
Pete and Tony were best friends and die-hard baseball fans. One day they were munching on stadium nachos at a game and Pete said, “I wonder if we’ll play baseball in heaven.” To which Tony replies, “I really don’t know.”.
Just a few days later, Tony gets a horrible stomach ache and dies from food poisoning. While in heaven he makes a very long-distance call to Pete to tell him how things are. Excited to hear from his friend, Pete asks eagerly, “Tony, you gotta’ tell me. Is there baseball in heaven?”
Hesitating for a moment, Tony finally says, “Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that there is baseball in heaven. The bad news is that you’re pitching tomorrow.”
Heaven is the certain hope of every believer. To depart this life and fall into the waiting arms of Christ will be a moment of unimaginable joy… baseball or not. But the hope of heaven should not distract us on earth – instead it should inspire us to take action while we still have breath in our lungs.
As C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”
So take time today to dwell on all that’s awaiting you in your heavenly home – the reunions you’ll have, the freedom from pain you’ll experience, and the sight of your Savior. Then filled with the joy of eternity make today count for Christ.
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to strengthen you for today with the thought of one day praising Him in heaven.
Questions for thought
What about heaven fills you with the most joy right now?
How can the joy of heaven inspire you to live for Christ today?