Heaven

Heaven has been on my mind lately. Not in a morbid, "I can't wait to get there!" sort of way. Just in a curious way.

Recently, I heard a sermon talking about how we will be workers when we get to heaven. The idea sounds heinous at first, but I listened to the whole sermon with an open heart. One point that makes it not such a horrific lesson is that I believe God made us with the desire to work. So when we're in heaven, we will have such joy in our work, we will actually be, well, joyful about working! And you know how as humans, we look for fulfillment in our work, and all too often we don't find it? Well, that will not be an issue in heaven.

It's interesting to me how here on Earth, we all feel like there was a certain job that we were created to do. And we strive to build our lives around that. Perhaps we were created for a particular job. Certainly there are those of us who were "called" to whatever they're doing. But I would venture to guess that the majority of us just follow our interests. Even if that interest is solely in earning money to make living, we pursue whatever career will fulfill that interest. However, even when we've reached that goal of career fulfillment, there is always something missing. And on the occasion, we get tired, worn down, fed up and just done. So how is it again that I am supposed to look forward to working in heaven?

For one thing, we will be utterly fulfilled in heaven. There won't be any jealousy, or envy in the workplace in heaven. We won't have the urge to "keep up with the Jones'." We won't be working to pay the bills, or save money for this or that. We will know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we are doing exactly what we were created to do. How will we know? We will simply be working to glorify God, which is truly what we were created for in the first place. 

So often I feel like what I do isn't where I want to be and isn't really what I was created for. I get caught up in the idea that I should have a career by now, instead of being a stay at home mom. I should be done with college and helping mamas bring their precious little ones into this world. I should be established in my career, and be called upon to do my job because nobody else does my job better than I do. People should look up to me and think highly of me. I should be making money. Oh, and I should be glorifying Jesus while I am at all of these other "shoulds."

Then I am reminded that what I am doing today, is exactly what God wants me to be doing. Glorifying God is the first reason to do any kind of work. Right now, I am nourishing His children that he has granted me guard over. When I love my children, I am storing up treasures in heaven. Because by the grace of God, they will be one of those treasures. And when I think about that, then suddenly, the treasures that I seek after here on Earth, seem so silly. I don't need to prove myself to my peers, I don't need to look for fulfillment in anyone or anything else.When I am heaven-minded, I am glorifying God. I am fulfilled. There is no magic job that is going to make me excited to work all of the time. But when I remember why I work, why I do what I do, I should be happy to step up.

Being a stay at home isn't going to get me any trophies or accolades. I certainly won't be "well known" or "well to-do." But right now, I am doing to most important job I could be, and that is something. Surely I should strive to do the best I can at it, even on those days that I am tired, worn-down and fed-up. Who knows what I will be doing for a job when I am in heaven, but I don't have to wait until I get there to find fulfillment in my work. I just have to remember who I work for, and why.