Heaven- The Steward's Final Destination

When the words are prayed: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," what does it mean?

For me those words mean that the hope of the Christian is to have paradise restored. The Bible is a simple book in many ways and complex in other ways.

As I study the Bible, I see a consistent framework leaping off the pages. The Scriptures tell a story. The story is summarized by four major themes:

1. Creation- God created all things in perfect order.
2. Fall- Sin has completely distorted this world. There is currently a mixture of the good and the bad in all of creation.
3. Redemption- A Holy God has offered a solution for our sin problem. To throw ourselves on the mercy of God by trusting in His gift of Christ dying for our sins.
4. Restoration- The redeemed man/woman submits to the Kingship of Christ and proclaims that He will return to this earth to judge sin. Paradise will be restored to its perfect state and this earth will display beauty without the decaying effect of sin.

Genesis 1:28 is an interesting verse, "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'.”

God created us to be stewards. In paradise, Adam and Eve were commanded to be great managers of God's resources. The potential was astonishing. But something went terribly wrong- sin entered the equation. The results have been devastating. We have now inherited a nature that is anti-stewardship. We have become wasters of resources. We use money, abilities, time and health for our own selfish ends rather than maximizing these resources for the glory of God.

But Christ says we should pray that His kingdom comes again to the earth as it is in Heaven. In this way, Genesis 1:28 and Matthew 6:10 are linked. God created us to be stewards. Sin screwed it up. God redeems us in Christ in order that we would be stewards again. This life we know is stewardship training for the Christian's ultimate destination. Heaven is the fulfillment of the mandate in Genesis 1:28.

In Heaven, we will reach our potential as we learn and grow in the knowledge of God. My vision of Heaven- shaped by Scripture and books like Heaven (Randy Alcorn) and the Chronicles of Narnia series (CS Lewis) is that the resources of money, abilities, time and health will be used for great ends.

Money will be maximized as we learn to use it for purposes that benefit the growth of God's kingdom. Cities will become vibrant as we build in worship of God. I had this thought as I looked at the building of high-end projects in uptown Dallas. There is a Ritz Carlton going up. A W hotel/condo project recently was finished. There are drawings for a great park in that area. As I looked at the drawing of the park, my thought was- doesn't this picture of the park look great before it gets trashed with debris and people passed out drunk or high? The uses of money in this life are always tainted by the effects of sin. But in Heaven, money will be used for noble purposes.

Abilities will be maximized as we use the unique talents that God has entrusted to us for work that glorifies Him and serves others. I believe that all work that is redeeming in value will be continued in Heaven free from the distractions of sin. What great things will be discovered? What will happen when great minds gather and learn from the Creator of all things? How great of a basketball player will I be when I can do the things my mind conceives but my temporary body cannot achieve? I digress. By the way have you seen the video of the guy that did a 720 degree dunk? That was sick. It can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRdpjxIlhvM&mode=related&search

Time will be maximized as we invest time in learning, loving and doing great things. What could you accomplish in this life that you neglect due to time constraints? What if the stresses of life were lifted and you were able to be devote time to projects that were an outflow of how God created you? Imagine the possibilities.

Health will be perfected. A resurrected body in a resurrected earth- that is something to get excited about. No more disease, disabilities or lack of energy. There will be great adventures to be explored. Mountains to climb. Oceans to dive. Rivers to be rafted. Hikes to be taken. Sports to be played. Beaches to be enjoyed. No financial, time or health constraints to hold us back.

Heaven is going to be sweet. Don't allow the culture shock to be severe. The steward's training is now. We say, "Come quickly Lord Jesus." The very best thing that could happen today for those who are in Christ is for Him to return and restore this earth to it's glorified state. But in the meantime, let us learn to be stewards over the resources He has entrusted to us as we pray for Christ's kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge