Heavenly Minded
“Oh, this cake tastes like heaven,” commented my older daughter on her sister’s birthday. I imagine most people would know what my daughter meant about the cake, that it was absolutely delicious. “Out of this world” you may even say.
Can you imagine, though, what it might be like to really get a taste of Heaven? A glimpse of the Lord, the exalted Jesus? I can’t say that it’s not something my heart has not craved at times. I remember sharing these thoughts at a women’s Bible study that I attended last year. One of the leaders, a lovely and wise 87 year old lady, remarked, “Well you can’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good.”
I have pondered that phrase many times since then. I certainly understand the meaning. If we are pining for Heaven, we may be ineffective here on earth for the things of God. But what if being “heavenly minded” is exactly what Christ intended for us, His disciples? Is it possible that being “heavenly minded” (and more of it over time) is actually what prompts us through the power of the Holy Spirit to be on mission for the interests of Christ in the world?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches His hearers how to pray. “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) Jesus is teaching all of us in these words to pray that our Heavenly Father’s perfect will, His holy and righteous desires, would be done here on earth.
This requires a heavenly mindset.
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus goes on to command that we “store up treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What treasure is Christ referring to? Not material treasures eaten by moss and destroyed by rust. Rather eternal spiritual treasure – love, faith, obedience, and acts of sacrificial service to God and others. These treasures will be storied in heaven and bring glimpses of God’s Kingdom here on earth.
This requires a heavenly mindset.
Jesus commands us to “seek first [God’s] Kingdom and his righteousness,” as opposed to worrying about our basic needs, trusting that our Heavenly Father will provide. (Matthew 6:33) What if we obeyed this command? What if, through our desire and pursuit of sanctification, we learned to seek the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s will, and lived it out through next steps of faith in action? What if we combed the Scriptures for the commands of Christ and allowed His messianic Kingship to form our hearts, thoughts, and actions?
This requires a heavenly mindset.
On this side of heaven, we still live in a broken world bent by sin. Yet, in Christ we can grow through the empowerment of the Spirit to desire, live within, and live out God’s will. Imagine the shining light of the Church in our homes and communities if we were more and more “heavenly minded.” It could in fact do a lot of earthly good.
Let the words of the King reign true today: “Let your light shine so that men might see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-15)
KB