Sometimes people wonder why God doesn’t just whip folk off to heaven once they have become Christians. Why leave them on the earth where they continue to face temptation, suffering and ultimately death?
One answer which is often given is that God needs us to reach the world for Him; to share the Good News of Jesus.
There is some truth in this, but it is not the whole story.
God values us as people and he takes a huge delight in watching us grow and develop. He provides us with opportunities to grow and to become more like him and it gives him great pleasure to see the way that, as the Spirit moves in our lives, we slowly become the people he wants us to be. Of course, He could make us perfect immediately, but that would not be showing a real relationship. God loves us so much, He wants to see us grow, and so He provides us with the environment for growth – and He is with us every step of the way.
Our call to mission is linked to this. God doesn’t call us to be witnesses to Christ because He needs us. He is not so pathetic that He can’t reach the nations without our help. God calls us to mission because He loves us and wants to work with Him.
2 replies on “Heaven Can Wait”
So true, and yet how many of us live like we are just waiting for the rapture (or whatever)? We live like once we are saved, all that’s left to do is read our Bible, attend church, and pray. There is so much more! I agree. Heaven can wait.
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