what is going to matter in heaven?...

let me give you a couple practical ideas of how to stay focused on the life that GOD has for you to live.

one, i encourage you to get a SPIRITual partner. somebody you can trust that can say to you, “you’re getting a little off track here. why don’t you focus on the life that you need to live?” get a SPIRITual partner.

two, memorize some bible verses. GOD can bring those verses that you’ve memorized to mind at just the right time to say, “get back on track!” james 3.16a (cev), whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble. that’s an honest verse, isn’t it?

JESUS concludes this story with a shocking statement. matthew 20.16&26 (nlt/cev) says, and so it is that many who are first now will be last then. HE’s talking about in heaven. and those who are last now will be first then. if you want to be great you must become the servant of all the others. this is the great reversal.

GOD says when we get to heaven, the tables are going to be turned upside down. all those celebrities, all those people of talent, famous people that you envy – all the people that you envy – HE said, they’re going to be at the back of the line because the line in heaven is not about wealth and fame and possessions and all those things.

the point HE’s making there is this: none of the things we envy on earth are going to matter in heaven. not one of them! not success, not wealth, not talent, not beauty, not fame, not accomplishments, none of the things we envy most on this side of eternity are going to matter one bit those billions and billions of years in eternity. what GOD is going to evaluate in your life and what GOD’s going to reward in your life is not how much money or accomplishments or talents or beauty or whatever you have here on earth.

what GOD is going to evaluate and reward in your life is your service to other people. HE says if you want to be great, you must learn to be the servant of others. HE’ll ask how much did you serve the people around you in love. HE’s not going to ask, “how many businesses did you build? how big did your bank account and your ira and your retirement fund get?” HE’s not going to ask, “how well known did you become in your neighborhood?” HE’s going to say, “how much did you serve?” listen, love is something you do, and the bible tells us serve one another in love. service is love in action.

just a thought from the front porch…