Our true home isn’t on earth.  It’s definitely not in this world where there’s an earthly display of dwellings in different sizes.  To find our real home people need to be strengthened and enlightened in heavenly ways. They must be worthy of true love by our Maker, by knowing the truth and mysteries of faith, and abiding in God’s authentic commandments.  We should learn to forgive our friends and enemies alike.  Lack of forgiveness will rob us from finding our precious gift in heaven.

In attaining spiritual gifts people are illuminated with clean minds and hearts.  Through the power of prayer they will arrive at their heavenly home.  This journey calls for patience and perseverance.   Chinese teacher and philosopher Confucius (551 B.C.– 497 B.C.) taught, “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”  Confucius was speaking about our earthly home but true strength through integrity could only be found in our spiritual home, heaven.

Our Earthly Home

Our earthly homes are wrecked by the horrors of sin – death, disease, malnutrition, poverty and hunger.  Those who fight wars do so at their own risk for these combatants face alarming spiritual obstacles.  While on earth we’re bombarded by bad examples that spell death.  Most people are led astray by worldly enticements they don’t even realize.  What we find are needless sufferings with angry nations rising up against each other.  These experiences mean sacrifices of blood, sweat and tears.  When we undertake our daily tasks there’s a lack of self-control, because we live in impatient societies where instant gratification is the norm.  Such mediocrity of lifestyles can only lead to the loss of our heavenly home as our final destination.

Elizabeth Kȗbler-Ross (1926–2004), a Swiss-American psychiatrist and pioneer in near-death studies, observed, “The beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.”  Despite how the dire our world’s situation may look, there’s always hope attested to by Kȗbler-Ross.  We are still able to find our way out of these perils.

A Willing Spirit

To be above these deadly realities in our world believers should spread what’s good.  They must be effective instruments touching others wherever they go.  It calls for taking up our crosses and for us to keep pushing on for the ultimate prize.  Such a Christian mission should be undertaken with gladness of hearts.  After sinning confess to Almighty God and be sure you’re forgiven.  In so doing you’ll be declaring yourself as trusting souls to others.  By sustaining a willing spirit, realizing the truth will set you free, this should be your goal.  With such an act you’ll be honoring the Most High in your ministry. Carlos Santana (b. 1947), a Mexican and American musician observed, “The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart.  The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.”  Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), a preeminent leader of India’s independence movement against the British, found, “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love.  Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.”  As we walk in this conflicted world, Christians should be armed with the weapon of love.

Our Eternal Home

After a life of faithful service our eternal home will be our gift.  It isn’t the service itself that gets us into paradise but the grace of God freely given to us.  To believers service is an outpouring of the spirit made manifest through good acts and deeds.  In paradise believers are blessed with unending and everlasting joy.  With deliverance there’s profound happiness where all the Angels of Light will delight in the splendor of holiness.  And, we’ll end up saying like Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), a Bengal artist: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy.  I woke up and saw that life was service.  I acted and behold, service was joy.”  Come to think about it, such joy will be unimaginable.  What glorious blessings await us in heaven.