Eternal Purpose ...

Perhaps the most vile myth perpetuated against Christianity is the idea that heaven consists of nothing but disembodied souls dressed in white robes playing harps on fluffy clouds throughout eternity.  Add to that, hell is generally considered unpleasant, but it is where the “party” will be.  Satan presents God’s ideas of eternal destiny as being tied to eternal boredom.  He presents his own, as perhaps painful, but at least it is where all the fun will occur throughout the eons of time.  These myths work their way backwards into our thinking such that we begin to accept the ideas that “sin” in this life represents all the “fun” we might ever be able to have.  Those “goodie-two-shoe’s” folks never get to have any fun because they just go around doing what is “right” all the time.  Too many non-believers have bought into this idea seeing heaven as nothing more than a cloudy, ghost filled, harp players convention without end.  Ironic that the folks stuck in hell, seem to have their bodies (if only to assist in the suffering), and despite their circumstances are still able to eek out an eternity of “pleasure”.  When Christians begin to see the devil as a man with 2 horns, a tail, and pitchfork; and they see God as a vengeful, justice obsessed egomaniac who seeks only to punish the deeds of the wicked – Satan wins.  To debunk these myths we might start by asking a simple question – what purpose was I destined to fulfill for all eternity?

Our discussion in this BLOG thus far has been centered on returning to the destiny we were created for, and doing that in the here and now.  When we allow Christ to remove the inhibitor of evil from us, the chains of addiction to self, we become free to experience things we never thought possible before.  Thus mediocrity meets its death, and boundless potential becomes our daily mantra grounded in Christ.  But our spirituality includes more than what we do, and why we do it, it also includes “who” we were intended to be.  While we allow Christ through our daily surrender to change us at the core of who we are, the process of re-creation is not merely to “remove”, it is also to “replace” and “renew”.  Who we were in our sinful state will ultimately be fully replaced, but the person we are to become, or are becoming, also has a purpose that is unique, and will fill a vital role throughout eternity.  Playing the harp may be yet another gift or ability we receive in the holy city, but it is not meant to be our sole occupation, or our unique purpose.  Thinking that God only ever wanted to create a huge heavenly orchestra consisting of nothing but harps denies just about everything we know, and can read about God throughout scripture.  And while I enjoy the thought of mastering what is for me a new instrument such as the harp, by the instant gift of God, I also wonder if the promise of “harp” playing was meant to be literal (i.e. everyone gets a golden harp), or more figurative (everyone will have skill where it comes to playing an instrument in heaven’s orchestra of perhaps even unknown origin).  After all the variety of “stringed” instruments that exist in our world of sin far exceeds a simple harp, why would I assume instrument selection to be so limited in heaven?  Perhaps my assumption is based more in myth, than it is in God’s actual intent.

Next up, we should examine that heaven and eternity will not be a place of monotony and repetition.  Our story begins with God’s creative work.  Our very existence is a product of creation, of genesis, of going from non-existence into the latest, newest creation of our God.  Do we presume He has never done this before us?  If so, where did the angels come from, let alone the remainder of our universe?  And so, do we presume that God will go on permanent vacation after we all get back home, never to create again?  It looks to me like God enjoys creating new things.  He seems to have no limits to His imagination.  When I look around me at the elements containing just some form of life the variety is astonishing.  I love my two Akita dogs, they are brother and sister.  Each has a unique personality despite coming from the same parents.  Each looks different, each has similar characteristics, but I could hardly confuse the two of them, as they are decidedly two unique dogs in the history of the dogs I have encountered in my life.  And they are merely the two closest examples of living creations I can site.  I also have a cat, and a bunny.  These other 2 living beings add an entirely new dimension to witnessing love expressed, and don’t even come close to covering the wide spectrum of living things that surround my day-to-day world.  Add to that, plant life; yet another form of living creation that surrounds my world with infinite variety and joy.  I love walking barefoot on a full grass lawn, or mossy creek bottom.  I loved climbing trees in my youth, and enjoy their shade in my elder years.  The majesty of a redwood is still a sight to wonder at in the forests of northern California, no less beautiful than the Joshua tree in the high deserts.  The level of unique creation just within a species in our world, should give us the clue that our God appreciates variety, uniqueness, and has no limit to His imagination where it comes to creating new things from nothing.

When I cannot find two identical trees, two identical dogs, or two identical snowflakes in a world populated with those creations; why would I think the purpose I was created for on an eternal basis is only to perform the same function as everyone else?  God has something in mind for me, that is unique to me.  He intends a purpose, a role, an agenda that will last through the ages.  What is more, it will be something that I will love to do.  I can have every confidence in this, because every time I have let God have His way with my life, I have LOVED the results.  My greatest problems originate when I attempt to exert my own ideas and control over me.  Surrender, leading to re-creation, has a consistent record of bringing joy to me and removing pain.  It is because of what He has done, and is doing for me, that I am so overwhelmed with gratitude that I want to praise His name.  The concept that we were “created” for nothing more than to praise God is only another lie of His enemy.  God did not create us to boost His ego (I do not believe God even has an ego).  That myth is perpetuated by His opposite.  Satan is obsessed with us worshipping him.  God is not.  True heart-felt worship in gratitude cannot be manufactured or demanded.  It comes naturally.  It comes because it cannot be denied or contained.  When we see the love of God for us doing such marvelous things in our lives, we cannot help but praise and thank Him for it.  We can recognize God as the supreme being, as Satan must, without wanting to worship Him.  But when we allow our God to re-create our lives, love infects us, and love causes us to see our gratitude and wish to share our joy.  The harp, or instrument, I will play in heaven to honor my God will itself be a unique expression of what He has done for me.  That experience will be unique to me, though common in that He saved me like He saved you, like He saved everyone.  Even in my praise, God will see a distinction that is unique to He and I; a unique voice in His choir of voices, a unique sound in His orchestra of music.

So if eternity will be a time of infinite creation, infinite genesis, then the number of things to do will also be expanding eternally.  Even if it is my role to do a certain task, it is also likely that the number of tasks I am assigned will ever be increasing as new things are ever part of my experience.  It is not about mastering everything we can put our finger on today (though perhaps that itself would be an admirable goal for eternity), it is about the idea that there will always be something new springing in to existence that God is capable of envisioning.  Even if I could achieve a mastery of all the accumulated knowledge to this date, there would ever be something new to learn.  And as God transcends our ideas of space and time, i.e. He exists infinitely going back in time from our perspective, I could spend eternity looking backwards at “history” just trying to “catch up”.  But I doubt God is looking to make me a historian attempting to trace back information infinitely (though I suspect this might be a historians greatest dream).  I think rather He intends a purpose for me now, and going with Him into the future.  I do not know what it is today, but it inspires me.

Career is something we tend to measure ourselves by in this world.  We are known first by our name, but perhaps second by what it is we do “for a living”.  It is perhaps only a third reference who our family associations are.  For instance, it is common for me to say for example … “Oh that is Howard, he runs the Pharmaceutical areas over at Florida Hospital, I think he is single right now, but probably looking.”  His name, his occupation, and his family status all seem to identify this person from another.  Career itself is how we spend the majority of our time.  It does not completely define us, but it offers an idea of our skills and interests.  In this world, it may not have been our ideal choice, but this world is obsessed with “earning a living”.  When “a living” is no longer the goal of our career, and when God Himself is our new boss, what might our “occupation” look like in that scenario?  We might even be recognized in a similar way in the heaven that is to come.  For instance … “Oh hi, my name is Kristian (substitute whatever God decides to call me here), I help God out by exploring alternate universes in multiple dimensions out on the back quadrant (or substitute whatever task God might ask me to do), this is my wife and children …”.  While I cannot even guess what God may decide to call me right now, or what He might have destined me to do, I do know it will be something I will love and will be unique to me.  Everything about what God has done for me already has taught me that.  The process of re-creation itself has taught me that.  It does not have to be completed in me yet, for me to see beyond the horizon is SO much God intends for us.

To say we were all destined for greatness, is to put too small a limiter on what God actually intends for each of us.  The highest ambition of each angel surrounding the throne of God, is to do what He asks.  The highest fulfillment of perfect beings is to be used and utilized by our loving God.  This culture of service is one that can infect us, as we submit ourselves to our Lord, and allow Him to remove the “me” in me.  Re-creation is not merely about removal of self, it is about potential and purpose and something new that takes the place of self-obsession and its limitations.  Our destiny has purpose and meaning.  It will be something that is unique and required or needed.  We did not come into existence casually, or by accident of astronomical odds.  We were designed, with intent, and with purpose.  As we look around us and recognize that each person is unique, so we can believe that each person’s purpose is also unique.  It is because each of us is precious to God, that God was willing to come and sacrifice Himself to save each of us.  Even if it were only you who would have accepted the salvation of God from evil, He would have come, lived, and died just for you.  One person is so precious to God, that He would have seen His sacrifice as worth it, just for one (see the parable of the 99 sheep and 1 lost).  That makes each of us not only unique, but necessary to God.

In our world we seek to be needed, but we should be looking beyond our world, to really measure what needed is.  I like using the example of Beethoven.  I am looking forward to hearing Beethoven’s 100^th piano concerto in heaven (he only has 95 more to write by my best guess).  There may be many other musical composers in heaven, all of which I may thoroughly enjoy, but there is something about the style of Beethoven I really enjoy.  If Beethoven is not there with me in heaven, heaven will be diminished.  It is not that I require Beethoven in heaven for me to want to be there, it is merely that I would find heaven even that much better with him in it.  I would love to hear his 100^thpiano concerto, perhaps even learn to play it myself.  That would bring me joy, as it would bring joy to others.  Beethoven is unique, he is needed, he is able to bring joy to many simply by doing what God has seen fit to bless him with doing.  Throughout the eons of time, there will never be another Beethoven.  The same is true of you.  The same is true of me.  Though neither of us may ever compensate for the loss of Beethoven if he is not with us, we may both really enjoy his company if he is; and he us.  From the perspective of Beethoven, he may really enjoy spending eternity with you, enjoying the contribution that you make to the congregation and body of heaven.  It may be your personal testimony that enriches the life of Beethoven in heaven.  It may be your service that brings him comfort and joy, and inspiration, as it does for me, and for untold others as you perform the purpose for which you alone were intended.  You see, you are no less important to God, to me, or to Beethoven than he is to us.  Each of us unique, each of us needed, each of us either adding to the beauty of heaven, or diminishing it by our absence. 

When we begin to see each other in this light, when we begin to appreciate how unique, and how critical it is we bond together for eternity – the divisions between us seem to melt away.  I do not care what skin color you are, what family you come from, what education you have, what career you chose or were forced to accept – I only care that I can show you love and help you see just how important you are to God and to me.  Your presence in heaven defines joy to me, your absence defines misery.  I wish to see the whole of heaven benefit from the purpose only you can fulfill.  Viewed in this way, it is hard for us to imagine “apathy” among the church body.  How could we casually allow the absence among us of any who we would so value in heaven?  How could we treat another so casually as to not care if they join us, or feel loved, or experience joy?  To serve that very person who perhaps we have seen as “hard to love” is perhaps the greatest joy we may encounter both in this world and the one to come.  Our destiny is to find fulfillment in a unique purpose and unique service to God.  Let us embrace this purpose today as we discover it, and recognize in others the unique contribution they will bring, and the absolute necessity of their company in our presence through all of eternity.