Realities of Heaven

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. [Colossians 3.1]

"The realities of heaven..." You know, I dare say most people, Christians included, don't spend much time considering the realities of heaven. We all think a lot about our current situations and circumstances, but little time is given to the higher reality that we have available to us in Christ - in the Kingdom of God - the very application of the way things are in heaven on earth.

Yes, again, much thought is given to the way things are on earth, but we have been taught to only look upon those earthly things as being subject to God's will - that they coincide with the way things are in heaven. Jesus taught us to pray, "Your (God's) will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Of course, God's will is always done in heaven - it simply cannot be any other way. Heaven is God's place and God's will is always done there. Heaven is a place of perfection and it is our job, as heirs of the Kingdom, to bring the "heavenly" to earth!

This is precisely what Paul was instructing by telling his readers to set their sights on the realitites of heaven. What is seen on earth, real as it may seem, is still subject to the Kingdom of God and our "domain" as Kingdom-heirs! It is not only our privilege,  but our responsibility as heirs of God's Kingdom to see to it that things on earth mirror things in heaven.

Father, help us to take seriously our responsibility to bring the realities of heaven to earth!