Regrets in Heaven

[Chris]

Regrets in Heaven

Regrets in Heaven
By George E. Schwalm

Flash forward. The Rapture has happened and because you have been trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior you are in Heaven. Now having been translated to immortality all of your infirmities are completely wiped out, never to threaten or afflict you ever again. All of the questions that have haunted you for years have finally been answered and you have received generous rewards for all of your Spirit led works. Just as promised, Jesus has wiped away every tear from your eyes and you have been avenged of every injustice that you have ever had to endure. Anything you may have been robbed of is repaid a thousand times over, and all the recompense and consolation due you is now yours. Joyfully reunited with loved ones, the depths of those relationships were previously only a glimmer of what they are now. With no constraints on time or resources you are free to pursue any activity your heart desires without the possibility of ever becoming bored. Though you will never experience hunger, you can eat whatever you want and not have to worry about gaining even a single extra pound. Though you will never tire, you can enjoy a blissful nap whenever you like, sleeping more soundly than you ever imagined. Though you will never thirst, the River of Life is always there to refresh you. Basking in the light of the direct presence of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the unlimited peace, safety, freedom and love that continually surrounds you is eternally guaranteed.

One glorious day you are sitting in soft green grass amidst fragrant pretty flowers on a majestic snowcapped mountainside, with your elbows on your knees, hands propping up your chin looking out over the dazzling Holy City of the Lord, the New Jerusalem. You can even see the wonderful mansion that Jesus built just for you in the distance. The weather is, of course, perfect as always and even with the bright glow of the Heavenly Father emanating from His throne in the city center, you can look up into the sky and clearly see innumerable planets, stars, and galaxies, all awaiting your next exciting adventure of exploration and discovery. As you (or I) gaze into the firmament, I wonder if it would be possible, even in Heaven, to have just a moment or two of righteous regret enter our thoughts?

After all, life on Earth seemed so...real. Good or bad, its tangibility could not be denied. We couldn't help but feel permanently intertwined in the grip of three dimensions, and Heaven sometimes seemed like a pie in the sky fairy tale no matter how much we believed in it. But the Bible told us that we were in the world but not of the world, that our citizenship is really in Heaven, and that the world is just a temporal situation for believers. And then the Rapture happened. And it turns out that Heaven is far more real than our former life could ever even begin to be. Our time on Earth was no more than a transient vapor, a drop in the bucket compared to eternity, and Jesus true to His holy word has kept every last promise He made to us.

So why did we not trust Him more?? How could we have ever doubted Him?? Why did we complain so much and let ourselves frolic so close to the banks of the rivers of sin so often that occasionally we even went for a dip in those muddy waters knowing full well it would grieve the Holy Spirit? If we were really "born from above" could we not have been more joyfully obedient? He gave His very life so that we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven, and all we had to do to receive it was to simply have faith! Why didn't we share our faith with a lot more people? Obstinacy should have been unthinkable!!

Flash back. The Rapture hasn't happened yet and we're still here on Earth (well, at least for the moment!). With the epiphany gained from the dramatization depicted in this commentary, we can be relieved to discover that right now we still have the opportunity to redirect ourselves back onto that narrow path of faith. The path that lead to righteousness. The path that avoids having future regrets in Heaven.

In rapt anticipation,
George E. Schwalm
georgeschwalm@msn.com

[Robert]

Problem: while all of this is nice, the thing I want most about heaven is to SEE JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!

Jesus is what matters and not my wants, desires or even needs. Because without Jesus Christ, heaven is not heaven and it would not even be worth considering.

[GlennO]

Robert said:

Problem: while all of this is nice, the thing I want most about heaven is to SEE JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!

While reading this my first reaction was "flawed scenario" !

I stand on the promise: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Rev 21:4)

Beware those that cavalierly take away from the promises contained in the Revelation!

(Rev 22:19) and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.