2 Corinthians 5:1 – 4 (NLT)
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
And one note about the picture … there isn’t enough money in the world to get you to heaven! Check out my CHRISTIANITY page for more info on that.
I some times depress my wife when I share with her my desire to be in Heaven today.
However, what I am trying to communicate is that I long for that day when everything will be perfect RATHER THAN I hate my life here on earth and what to be done with it. Do you see the difference there?
Read verse 4 again …
While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
What about you? Where is your heart? What is your desire? Do you long to be in Heaven with the Lord? I know I do!
I love my wife!
I love my kids!
I love my extended family!
I love my church!
I have great friends!
I love serving in the Air Force!
I love playing softball!
I would like to see grand kids and such!
But compared to what awaits in Heaven, I believe I would have to be insane to want to stay here and have any more “experiences”!
The better question is “how do we avoid depression because we are NOT in the perfect Heaven yet with our perfect Lord?”
Check out verses 8 & 9 …
2 Corinthians 5:8 – 9 (NLT)
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
God knows what is best for me, and He has a wonderful plan for my life (John 10:10 says so.) Part of His wonderful plan is to use me to affect the spiritual lives of other humans here on earth. He has a plan for their lives as well. He desires for them to understand and accept his gift of salvation so that they too can experience Heaven some day.
I avoid being depressed day in and day out by seeking to please my Heavenly Father on a daily basis!
I want to end this post with the verses from the last part of chapter 5. We are here on this earth because God has a purpose for being here. Eternity is a long time. I will choose to be patient in my time here in this less than perfect, limited, physical body (with all of its pains, aches, weight issues, sickness, etc.) so that I can please my Lord and enter His eternal kingdom as a servant who has done well.
2 Corinthians 5:18 – 21 (NLT)
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Go with God,
Donald B



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