Shades of Gray

07/12/2008

Make sure that the light you think you
have is not actually darkness.
Luke 11:35 (NLT)

When we think about the beauty here on earth, the colors we see, how vivid they seem, we have to remember that they are truly only a shadow of the things to come. We live in shades of gray on earth compared to the glory of Heaven that is waiting for us. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a very bright future ahead!

All of us living on this earth live in a land covered with the shadow of death. This is not said to depress all of us, it’s just the reality we live in. We can choose to think about it or not, but it won’t change the facts. One day we can be here, alive and well…in the next instant, all that could change. Are we seeing this world as it really is, with the reality of God in mind, or are we blinded to the darkness of it? Do we forget that this world is not all there is? Do we have the hope of a better place to come or are we walking through life, through shades of gray, and not even noticing something’s not quite right?

There are some beautiful places on this earth but how wonderful must Heaven be, how spectacular a place must God have in mind for the New Earth, if this light we live in is actually darkness? Our Father in Heaven created this world, a world now corrupted by sin and dulled to shades of gray relationally, environmentally, spiritually, etc…compared to the vibrancy of the Garden of Eden that once existed—even so, there are places and experiences and relationships on earth that are still marvelous. Because of the good of God we live in here, we can have great expectations for the New Earth God will provide.

Heaven is about living out an eternity in a place that is filled to overflowing with the love of God every moment of every day, and living in a joy like we have never known, and a peace like we have never felt, and in relationships that run deep and true. Heaven includes doing what our hearts desire—wonderful, exhilarating experiences that God has planned for us that we can’t even imagine now. It’s hard to comprehend that what we do and see each day here are merely shadows of what’s to come…especially when things are good, when the day is filled with a beauty that can take our breath away, or our hearts are filled with love. But Hell is black and Heaven is white, and when they are mixed together here on earth, we live in shades of gray that we call “normal.” It’s not wrong, it just is what it is, and our responsibility is mainly to realize it and remember to focus on the light of God instead of the dark this world contains. We can know that what waits for us on the other side of this grayness is God’s promise of a beautiful rainbow! Jesus is our great Hope for the bright New World to come!

In Heaven, everything will shine exactly as it should…forever and ever and ever! Amen!