How to have heaven in our hearts

Heaven may be generally thought of as a place that is difficult to experience in this lifetime, this mortal world of ours, and is instead a place to be longed for. In this entry, I explore a way to have heaven in our hearts in the here and now. This is a follow-up to my previous post, The Language of the Heart.

In his classic devotional book titled The Saint’s Everlasting Rest, English Puritan pastor and author Richard Baxter (1615-1691) wrote:

“Why are not our hearts continually set on heaven? Why dwell we not there in constant comtemplation?…Bend thy soul to study eternity, busy thyself about the life to come, habituate thyself to such contemplations, and let not those thoughts be seldom and cursory, but bathe thyself in heaven’s delights.” (http://bible.org/illustration/hearts-set-heaven)

A way to have heaven in our hearts:

Where Is Your Treasure?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do no break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Chasing after material pleasures and earthly goods unnecessarily, tends to detract us from the true riches that are of a heavenly nature.

Learning to appreciate heavenly goods with our hearts is a sacred art, which I believe can bring one lots of joy and bliss.

For heaven is our home.
“Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.” 2 Cor 5:3

“Treasures in heaven” means living and following God’s ways (http://bible.org/seriespage/where-your-treasure-matthew-619-24).For example, loving your neighbour as yourself- demonstrating an act of kindness, forgiving someone of a sin.

Just think, practising ‘heaven in our hearts’, this way, we can experience heaven, right at our fingertips.