Either we try to have heaven on earth or, we live for heaven while on earth.

“Deliver my soul from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. (Psalm 17:13-15)”

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24)”

Every human being will live in two worlds. But no one can live for more than one world. Either our lives will be orientated towards making heaven on earth, or our lives will be orientated towards living on earth for heaven.

Two of my good friends have just given birth for the first time (no doubt both will be saying for the last time too, until they fully recover!) What a surprise for those two little newborns! Imagine being ushered into a brand new world for the first time! They’re facing about 80 years in a world full of beauty, potential and love. But its also a world full of ugliness, wasted potential and selfishness.

Both of them will grow up and make the most important decision of their whole existence: will they live for this world, or another one? Their whole lives will be shaped by that decision.

Understandably, most people choose to live for this world. All their eggs are put into the basket of ‘here and now’. If these children decide to do that, they may well make a success of it. People who do that, as the Psalm says, have their ‘portion in this life’. They may end up with treasure; lots of children; and wealth that they can leave in their wills to loved ones.

Maybe if they live for this world and they do it well, and they will end up with all the riches and rewards that this world can give them. We all know of people whose lives are filled with every kind of good thing that this world can give. When these two babies grow up they may attend a private school like the one near me. Outside of the school gates is a bus stop with a huge poster advertising the lottery and inviting all the children to imagine the amazing rewards this world can give you if you are rich enough to buy them. In short, living for this world has its rewards.

Unbelievably, the psalmist refuses this world and its rewards! Instead, he opts for another world. Just like a baby being born and waking up to this world that he/she has never seen before, we will wake up to Another World.

This Other World is full of infinite beauty. Unlike this world there is no ugliness, only the eternal, vast love of God. Unlike this world, there is no potential because we become everything we could possibly be. Why? Because we gaze and gaze on the all-surpassing glory of God and we ourselves will be in His likeness. That glory makes the treasures of this world fade like a candle before the Sun.