Help With Accepting Heaven?

[NeverHopeless]

I love doing what is right and following God, and I trust in him I do, I’m just so afraid of heaven. I mean I don’t think that I deserve to go there, but if I did, the thought just scares me! It’s just that I can’t comprehend it really at all. I hear so many things, especially about how people will be happiest there. I just don’t think I could be happy if I went to heaven and the people I cared about weren’t there, it’s not that I think God would be wrong for not having them there, but I just can’t see myself being happy without them. The other thing that bothers me is what if I am okay with the ones I care about not being there, or if I am perfectly happy without them. If God wants it than it is for the better but, I just don’t want my personality to change that much! It’s so difficult for me to understand heaven, I worry so much sometimes I start to think it would be alright to just stay in purgatory. I know I’m being horribly selfish and misunderstanding, I just need help with this and I haven’t been brave enough to bring it up with anyone I know in person.

(Also this is my first real post, so I’m sorry if this is the wrong area or something!)

 

[Mintaka]

Well, I know you’re using it as shorthand; but you have to remember that Heaven is not the same as eternal life. In Heaven, we don’t have our bodies back yet and are still awaiting the end of the world and the general resurrection and judgment. That’s a blissful state and we’ll be glad to be there; but we aren’t meant to be deprived of our bodies and the earth forever. Our eternal life will really begin when the new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem are where we live, in our newly resurrected bodies.

When we are with God in Heaven, we will be in eternity. It is very likely that as part of the Body of Christ, we will share some of Christ’s ability to know everything going on and to watch over and help those we love from Heaven. The souls of the blessed are not captives in Heaven, any more than the angels are. Wherever Christ is, His saints and angels are. Christ is always with His people; our beloved and holy dead are with us too. In many ways, we are more separated by death from being with them than they are from being with us. We will be able to help them more there than we can here.

When we are with God, in Heaven or after the Resurrection, we will have much more understanding of everything. We will truly know the people we love. At the general judgement of all people, we will all see and hear and know everything important about everyone. We will know and understand each person’s life, and we will understand that some people have chosen to stay away from God for all eternity. We will accept that; we will still feel all joy possible; but their absence will be a lack of the even fuller joy that could have been possible if they had chosen God. We will not lack anything; but obviously eternal life would be even better if nobody chose damnation.

Don’t worry; our personalities will not change. They will be the best version of us, a perfected version, an unfolded version, but not different. (Which is why it’s important to learn to be ourselves as God intended us to be, now, in order to maximize our joys in heaven.)

Let’s pray for each other to abandon our sins and embrace God, Who is all Love. Let us seek to know and love and serve Him more and more, in this life. Then we will not fear death or even eternal life, because we will know He is with us always, keeping His arms around us and all those we love. In this life, to follow Him may seem like loss. After death, we will find that it is all gain.

 

[Julian0404]

You do not need help with accepting heaven, you need help in believing in and trusting in GOD.

Without being intentionally harsh, your comments reflect a serious immaturity of the faith. You cannot see beyond the earth and your friends. You are expressing a sentiment that declares that GOD cannot possibly be correct if HE does not bring you and all your friends into heaven. GOD cannot be GOD unless he does what pleases you.

Please, read - read - read about our faith. Listen to CD’s about your faith. Take a step toward your own fear - GOD, and begin to open a relationship with HIM, by reading and studying the faith. Will you ever truly understand HIM - NO !!! None of us can or ever will, but HE only requires two things from us. “…Faith and obedience.” Quote from St. John Newman.

Your faith as expressed in your post is so weak that your question on heaven reflects the immaturity of your obedience. Please, do not remain in this scenario. On this web site you will find many good books and CD’s about the faith, purchase them and begin a journey of understanding. JESUS said, “seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened for you” - paraphrase. HE also said, “eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor can man imagine what GOD has prepared for those who love HIM” - paraphrase from 2nd Corinthians.

Open a book, listen to a CD and knock - HE will open.

 

[NeverHopeless]

Well, I know you’re using it as shorthand; but you have to remember that Heaven is not the same as eternal life. In Heaven, we don’t have our bodies back yet and are still awaiting the end of the world and the general resurrection and judgment. That’s a blissful state and we’ll be glad to be there; but we aren’t meant to be deprived of our bodies and the earth forever. Our eternal life will really begin when the new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem are where we live, in our newly resurrected bodies.

When we are with God in Heaven, we will be in eternity. It is very likely that as part of the Body of Christ, we will share some of Christ’s ability to know everything going on and to watch over and help those we love from Heaven. The souls of the blessed are not captives in Heaven, any more than the angels are. Wherever Christ is, His saints and angels are. Christ is always with His people; our beloved and holy dead are with us too. In many ways, we are more separated by death from being with them than they are from being with us. We will be able to help them more there than we can here.

When we are with God, in Heaven or after the Resurrection, we will have much more understanding of everything. We will truly know the people we love. At the general judgement of all people, we will all see and hear and know everything important about everyone. We will know and understand each person’s life, and we will understand that some people have chosen to stay away from God for all eternity. We will accept that; we will still feel all joy possible; but their absence will be a lack of the even fuller joy that could have been possible if they had chosen God. We will not lack anything; but obviously eternal life would be even better if nobody chose damnation.

Don’t worry; our personalities will not change. They will be the best version of us, a perfected version, an unfolded version, but not different. (Which is why it’s important to learn to be ourselves as God intended us to be, now, in order to maximize our joys in heaven.)

Let’s pray for each other to abandon our sins and embrace God, Who is all Love. Let us seek to know and love and serve Him more and more, in this life. Then we will not fear death or even eternal life, because we will know He is with us always, keeping His arms around us and all those we love. In this life, to follow Him may seem like loss. After death, we will find that it is all gain.

Thank you so much! That really was very helpful and I understand a lot more now! I really must say that this has all come about because of my recent engagement and such, I just love my husband-to-be so much, I feel that if for some reason he didn’t go to heaven it must be my fault, I just don’t know how I could stand it if he weren’t there, or stand myself for getting there without him.

 

[NeverHopeless]

You do not need help with accepting heaven, you need help in believing in and trusting in GOD.

Without being intentionally harsh, your comments reflect a serious immaturity of the faith. You cannot see beyond the earth and your friends. You are expressing a sentiment that declares that GOD cannot possibly be correct if HE does not bring you and all your friends into heaven. GOD cannot be GOD unless he does what pleases you.

Please, read - read - read about our faith. Listen to CD’s about your faith. Take a step toward your own fear - GOD, and begin to open a relationship with HIM, by reading and studying the faith. Will you ever truly understand HIM - NO !!! None of us can or ever will, but HE only requires two things from us. “…Faith and obedience.” Quote from St. John Newman.

Your faith as expressed in your post is so weak that your question on heaven reflects the immaturity of your obedience. Please, do not remain in this scenario. On this web site you will find many good books and CD’s about the faith, purchase them and begin a journey of understanding. JESUS said, “seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened for you” - paraphrase. HE also said, “eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor can man imagine what GOD has prepared for those who love HIM” - paraphrase from 2nd Corinthians.

Open a book, listen to a CD and knock - HE will open.

Yes I have been reading, I’ve just recently returned to the faith after a long break from it in my childhood, and its obvious really! But thank you for what you’ve said, I will definitely continue!

Though as a small edit, I never doubt Gods correctness! I was just trying to explain my lack of understanding and how it was affecting me emotionally.

 

[underacloud]

I’m not so sure the questions necessarily indicate an immature faith, because they express concerns that we all have…irrespective of the maturity of our faith.

How can I be eternally happy if those that I love are eternally punished? Yes, we need to trust that God’s love and wisdom will prove to be perfect, but these are questions that have been tackled by theologians and philosophers since the time of Christ. God has not revealed to us how this problem might be overcome, and theologians offer answers that amount to little more than guesswork, but we are called to trust in Him and to pray for those we love. If we love them, how much more will God love them and want them to be with Him also? God loves your future husband much more than you do, so that should be a comforting thought.

 

[NeverHopeless]

I’m not so sure the questions necessarily indicate an immature faith, because they express concerns that we all have…irrespective of the maturity of our faith.

How can I be eternally happy if those that I love are eternally punished? Yes, we need to trust that God’s love and wisdom will prove to be perfect, but these are questions that have been tackled by theologians and philosophers since the time of Christ. God has not revealed to us how this problem might be overcome, and theologians offer answers that amount to little more than guesswork, but we are called to trust in Him and to pray for those we love. If we love them, how much more will God love them and want them to be with Him also? God loves your future husband much more than you do, so that should be a comforting thought.

Thank you, your understand is helpful, and the fact that God does love my fiancé more than me is very comforting!

 

[EricFilmer]

I just don’t think I could be happy if I went to heaven and the people I cared about weren’t there, it’s not that I think God would be wrong for not having them there, but I just can’t see myself being happy without them.

Even if your post lacks a certain degree of theological understanding (as has been suggested earlier in this thread), I think it is only natural for a person to feel as you do. After all, if we love people then we miss them when they are gone. That’s what the human heart does.

But the important thing in mind is that hell is a choice that a person makes, and ultimately it stems from a failure to love God and neighbor. Therefore, it stands to reason that people in hell are there because they prized the love of self over anyone else, even to the extent of damning themselves for all eternity. I suggest that when the hearts and minds of everyone are laid bare in the light of God’s justice, the people in hell won’t really be missed by those in heaven. In other words, you love your friends so much that you want to be with them for eternity in heaven, but it may turn out that some of them didn’t love you or anyone else enough to desire the same thing. I guess part of the happiness of heaven actually results from no longer having to endure the company of narcissists and false friends.

 

[NeverHopeless]

But the important thing in mind is that hell is a choice that a person makes, and ultimately it stems from a failure to love God and neighbor. Therefore, it stands to reason that people in hell are there because they prized the love of self over anyone else, even to the extent of damning themselves for all eternity. I suggest that when the hearts and minds of everyone are laid bare in the light of God’s justice, the people in hell won’t really be missed by those in heaven. In other words, you love your friends so much that you want to be with them for eternity in heaven, but it may turn out that some of them didn’t love you or anyone else enough to desire the same thing. I guess part of the happiness of heaven actually results from no longer having to endure the company of narcissists and false friends.

I understand what you mean. It is just tough to accept not being able to help someone anymore. I don’t wish to be rid of false friends and the like, I wish to help them. If a close friend of mine did choose themselves over all others, I can’t help but feel as if I could have been there more or done more for them. Of course it is their final choice to make and not mine.