Your Maturity Will Be Greater

We now come to the crux of the matter. If we can remember what happened on earth, including the tragedies and heartaches, won’t that dimmish our joy? An even more poignant question is: How can we be happy in heaven if we remember loved ones who aren’t there—who are in hell?

Revelation 21:4 says of our entrance into heaven, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” How can we be happy when some whom we loved are not with us?

Perhaps that’s the greatest mystery to consider. I do not know exactly how God will give us unbroken joy under these conditions. He is a God of infinite grace, and He does all things well (Mark 7:37). The Bible says that now “we see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The Lord has told us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).

Jesus said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” (John 13:7). Our Christian experience is based on faith, which includes a choice to trust God’s integrity when we don’t have all the answers.

Somehow God will give us a maturity beyond anything we can imagine. Though we will not be all-knowing like our almighty Lord, we will have enhanced minds, improved memories, and unparalleled maturity. We’ll understand better. Until then, we walk by faith, and we trust God with unanswered questions.

We also need to do all we can to win the lost to Christ. The issue of heaven or hell is one of the zeal-producers for our witness and Christian work. You never know when the Lord will use you to change someone’s eternal destination.

In heaven, all who belong to Jesus will have clear minds, full memories, complete joy, and hearts mature in ways we can’t yet imagine. That’s what we know. And we can fully trust our Lord with all the rest.

Dear God, even amid the mysteries of what heaven will be like, I will trust You to reveal what You need me to know as I await that glorious day when I run into Your arms. Amen.

Was this plan helpful? We adapted this plan from The Promise of Heaven: 31 Reasons to Get Excited About Your Eternal Home by Dr. David Jeremiah. Check it out for more.