I love Jesus, but if God is handing out spiritual report cards, I’m probably getting an F when it comes to getting excited about Heaven.* The Apostle Paul—who tells us to imitate his faith—says, “I desire to depart and be with Christ” (Phil 1:23), but when I try to rev my enthusiasm for that place after death, my battery sputters.
Over the last five years at seminary, I had the chance to study the Bible as one big story, from the garden to the city. Revisiting the edges of God’s story gave me a new lens for understanding why I have a hard time getting excited about heaven. Here’s three of my top reasons:
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash
1. Worship songs aren’t really my thing.
After three repetitions of the chorus from “10,000 Reasons” at church, I’m ready to call a time-out and connect with the maroon cushions, not stay on my feet for another four songs. I’ve never been a good stander. And despite my laser focus when it comes to reading and writing, singing turns my mind into seven-year-old with ADD. Music time at church deteriorates into twenty minutes of hand-slapping my brain back to attention.
Given my complicated relationship with “worship time” at church, I was glad to discover that singing is not the only way we’ll worship God in heaven. We’ll be feasting (Rev 19:9), ruling (Luke 19:11-17), and judging (1 Cor 6:3), and—given the reappearance of the Tree of Life from Genesis (Rev 22:2) and the kings who will bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:24-26)—it seem we’ll be engaged in redeemed forms of commerce, culture, and politics. Thankfully, an eternity of worship doesn’t mean Hillsong on repeat forever.
2. I like my body.
Granted, there are times I do not like my body—like the last four weeks when my iris staged an inflammatory revolt, painfully contracting against any shred of light. Despite the medical copays, photophobia, and having to wear a pirate-patch to work, I ended up loving my eyeballs all the more for the vision they provide.
If eternity with God means giving up my body, then I’ve earned my failing grade. Embodiment is one of God’s fundamental gifts. Not only does my materiality let me enjoy hiking in Colorado’s Spanish Peaks, getting a hug from my grandma, or hearing from God via scripture in black ink, in a real sense my body is me.
In making humans, God made bodies first and breathed life into them. I am just as much body as spirit, and can’t be fully me without either.
Thankfully, God doesn’t ask me to get excited about a bodiless eternity. I picked that idea up somewhere else. And while there may be a span of time before Jesus’ return when my body lies under the soil and my spirit takes haven with God in Heaven, the ultimate hope of the Bible is always Resurrection. I’ll get my body back, but upgraded. My new irises won’t ever inflame.
3. I like Planet Earth.
I love golden hour when the sun burns low on the horizon turning the world amber and warm. And a steaming cappuccino on a cold day. And the eight German Shepherd fur-balls down the road giving me puppy fever.
There are also many things I don’t love about this world. The racism of a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for my patient’s brother because he is black. The terror of an armed man killing four people in a Waffle House. The destruction of Hurricane Irma that wiped out much of Puerto Rico.
Like us, the Earth is branded by our sin. But despite the chaos our rebellion caused, God’s declaration of the goodness of his creation (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) still stands. He’s never completely thrown in the towel on this world.
Some verses do talk about God destroying the earth, but the broader context of scripture seems to indicate that God won’t annihilate the planet, but that by “destroy” these passages mean he will burn off the evil before renovating it. Think of how he “destroyed” the earth by flood in Noah’s days. Regardless of how Christians interpret these verses, though, God’s good news wasn’t ever just Heaven, it was the New Heaven and Earth—fit for resurrected humans and shaped for our enjoyment, flourishing, and fellowship with God.
God isn’t stingy when he paints his picture of the New Heaven and Earth. He fills in enough details to get our imaginations swirling, and invites us to leverage our joy for the present world to fuel our anticipation for the next one.
Probably if I loved Jesus as much as the Apostle Paul, I’d be more excited about Heaven too. But a good part of my failure to get enthused about the afterlife stems from a view of Heaven Jesus never offered: bodiless, earthless, and singing forever. Instead Jesus extends his hand, inviting me to dig resurrected toes into the warm soil of a New Earth.
* Seeing our relationship with God as a spiritual report card is, of course, heretical.
Question: What makes it hard for you to get excited about Heaven?
Hillsong on repeat, loving my eyeballs. 😂😂 I love this honest discussion. I think for me it has to do with just being entangled in life here and not wanting to let that go
Yes. That’s another thing too. Easy to get so caught up in life here.
Shannon did you know Joy and I have kids in the same kindergarten class? Small world:)
Really!?! That’s crazy. Such a small world. I love having friends that become friends in other places! If only I could be part of the fun too 😂
Mmmm…I appreciate your thoughts, honesty and where you are in your journey of faith. Leaving family behind is the only thing that makes me pause when I think of leaving earth behind.
Thanks for chiming in Nancy! I’m interested what aspect of leaving family is hardest: you being in heaven without them or knowing that they are on earth without you? I’ve been having different conversations with people about what makes it hard to get excited about heaven and interested in more of your thought.
Shannon, well, I guess the aspect of loving my family is the hardest. I think my absence would be sad for them(lol..I hope they will miss me). Also, I wear many hats (Mom, auntie, daughter, sister, wife) and like to think that I still am contributing or adding benefit to my family’s lives and don’t relish the thought of me not being there for them. Perhaps that is prideful as I know the Lord is the only one that can fully love and be there for them…I just don’t relish the thought of them being sad in my absence.
Also, Shannon, don’t be surprised if time changes your reasons for “not being excited about heaven”.
A footnote: I feel so sad that worship does not bring life to your soul…My spirit would wither and be discouraged without it. Listening to it is one of my secrets to stay focused and encouraged in this life. It is one of the reasons I can’t wait to get to Heaven. He knows that I will gladly lead His choir if He wants me.
Love your thoughts!
Nancy, thanks for your response. It seems to me like knowing your absence would be hard for your family is a legitimate thing. Yes God ultimately meets needs as you said, but he put you in these roles and they are good roles that will be jarred by death. I think there is a reality of “not good” in that, even though God can ultimately bring good out of it. Thanks for giving me some food for thought. I’m guessing this isn’t something I’ve experienced myself since I’m not a mom.
As for worship music, I find of all the opportunities for worship, music doesn’t come the easiest for me. Reading the Bible, or being in nature are two that very easily bring me into worship. And even if I could sit for singing at church (😂), I’ve never been someone who is deeply drawn to music of any type. But, I always hope to grow in this area.
Regardless, I’m thankful that worship—and our experience of God in eternity— is more multidimensional than any one thing, whether that be singing or something else.
Still, if you lead the choir in Heaven, I’ll show up and maybe you’ll be able to teach me some of your love for worship via song 😊
I probably shouldn’t have been smiling the whole time I read this, but I was simply because I too picture myself worshiping for all eternity and think…Oh my…won’t I get bored?
I’m sad there is no marriage in heaven… can we at least share a mansion Micah Holt?
😂 But seriously, I’ve been reading the different Gospel passages where Jesus talks to the Saduccees about this. I guess there will be marriage in Heaven — between Jesus and his bride. But I wonder if there will be special levels of connection that reflect our varying levels of love on earth.
I have come to realize that on earth we have a great need for friends/family and marriage partners. We will no long have this need in the New Jersuelum simply because Christ alone will be enough for us. He will be the ultimate husband and we the ultimate bride. That is something we will never fully experience on the fallen earth.
Good discussions! I think I’m the opposite.
1. I understand that the music in heaven is better than anything here.
2. As I hurt more and have more problems with my body, I wouldn’t mind leaving it so much. That might be why that happens as we get closer to heaven.
3. As I get older and see more painful things, I think heaven without sin or death would be enjoyable and I would miss earth less.
I wonder if you are happier on earth because you have done well following the Bible your whole life and God has blessed you here and “His kingdom come” your whole life.
The only reason I don’t want to leave is I know it’s not my time and my kids/ family still need me.
That’s why my favorite song is
I Can Only Imagine. 😇
I’m sure as I get more aches and pains I’ll feel similar! I’m sure glad though that eternity means a new body, not no body. And I’m sure the music will be so much better than here, But also glad there will be other ways to worship too! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Shannon Baker thanks for your writings! I have been looking forward to reading them when I had some time and finally did! 😘❤️