Go Beyond

I often think about heaven － perhaps because I am getting older. And while the Scriptures describe heaven as a remarkable place, I am in no particular hurry to get there. I did, however, make a list of the ten things I don’t want for God to ask me when I finally arrive in my heavenly home and stand before Him.

My list reminds me that if I want to hear God say to me “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21), then I have to live in such a way that will make it possible for Him to say these words to me. So, here is my list of ten tough questions I hope I don’t have to answer in heaven.

10. Why did you make so many excuses? | Making excuses is one thing most of us do best. It’s something we instinctively do to try to get ourselves off the hook when we feel someone is reeling us in on the line of accountability. Excuses release us from obligations, keep us from fulfilling our duty, and ultimately distance us from our potential. I don’t want to go through life making excuses about why I failed to do what I should have done. I need to own my failures, learn from them, and move on. No excuses!

9. Why did you blame others? | Blaming others started in the garden when Adam complained to God, “The woman You gave to be with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). The woman then blamed the serpent. And, human beings have been blaming others ever since. Blaming others may anesthetize us from the pain of our own foolish choices but blaming others can’t protect us from the consequences of those choices. Regardless of how others have treated me or what they may have done to hurt me, I am ultimately responsible for making wise choices. The buck stops with me!

8. Why didn’t you take more risks? | The dictionary defines “risk” as “exposure to the chance of injury or loss; the possibility of suffering harm.” That’s why most people don’t like to take risks. However, progress always involves risk. Someone noted that a ship in the harbor may be safe, but that’s not what ships were built for. Unless we are willing to lose sight of the shore we will not make any progress nor will we reach the distant shore. And, let’s not fool ourselves — failing to take risks is also risky. As for me, I opt for taking risks!

7. Why did you remain silent? | Silence is not golden when it comes to matters of eternal significance. Christ-followers are obligated to share the story of redemption with the world (Rom. 1:14). And, we are obligated to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves — the destitute, poor, needy, and oppressed (Prov. 31:8-9). Our silence is costly. I am committed to speaking up.

6. Why didn’t you recognize me? | Mother Teresa urged her Missionaries of Charity to go to the dark places to look for Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor, the naked, the hungry, and the sick. These are the people who live in the blurry world of our peripheral vision. How many times have I sped past Jesus in His distressing disguise? I am determined to slow down and to look more carefully at those around me. And, when I find Jesus in His distressing disguise, I want to do for that person what Jesus would do.

5. Why did you rob me? | Everything we have is a gift from God. Rather than seeing ourselves as owners of what we have, we must see ourselves as stewards. When we fail to support the work of God through our tithes and offerings, we are guilty of robbing God (Malachi 3:8). We can’t justify this crime by saying that we give to Him in other ways (like our time and talent). If we can’t trust God to care for us after we have given our tithes and offerings, then why trust Him with our salvation? I refuse to rob God.

4. Why didn’t you lay up more treasures in heaven? | It’s easy to say we believe in eternity and yet live as if there were nothing beyond this world. Jim Elliot, martyred in Ecuador in 1956, said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” We must consider the eternal value of whatever we accomplish or invest in on earth. Since our hearts tend to be wrapped around our treasures, I am determined to treasure God and to give myself to the things that will outlast me and endure for eternity.

3. Why were you unkind to others? | In a world in which people commit hateful, cruel, and violent acts toward others, Christ-followers must set an example of kindness (Prov. 3:3-4). Every time I hear of another terrorist attack, I am reminded that Jesus never took a life but instead gave His life. Nor did He ever command His followers to harm or to use violence against those who reject Him or His claims. I am determined to look for opportunities to be kind to others and to respect them.

2. Why did you try to take so much of the credit? | There is something about us that likes to take the credit for good things. I heard about a woodpecker working hard to peck a hole in a tall pine tree. A bolt of lightning struck the tree, split it in two, and knocked the woodpecker to the ground. When the woodpecker regained consciousness, he surveyed the scene and remarked, “Wow! I didn’t know I had it in me.” May God help me to always remember that He is the One who makes good things happen and deserves the credit.

1. Why didn’t you spend more time with me? | Many of us are addicted to activity and to noise — constantly on the move from morning until night. Taking on too many activities can leave us too dazed and out of breath to spend quality time with God. Ultimately, it is the time we spend with Him that impacts every other thing on this list. When Peter and John were summoned before the religious leaders in Jerusalem, Luke recorded that when the religious leaders “saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). If I want for people to say that about me, then I need to spend more time with Jesus.