SO HEAVENLY MINDED

photo by my grandson, 15

cli·ché . (klēˈSHā/) noun: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought; a stereotype.   

"Some people are so heavenly minded they do no earthly good." 

An overused cliche for sure.  It creates so many questions in my mind. 

• What does it mean to be heavenly-minded?
• What is considered earthly good?
• And is it preferable to live "so earthly-minded that we do no heavenly good?"

Was Paul simply using up space when he wrote - "so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18). 

Was he saying that our focus should be somewhere not of this earth?  He was. He is.  How is it possible to focus on what I cannot see? How do I do that? Why would I want to?

Why did he write that? 

Well, because the Holy Spirit wrote it using Paul. It's what THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TEACHING US TO DO. 

The Holy Spirit - a.k.a. "The Comforter" is being kind enough to explain to us how to NOT GO UNDER.

I love that He is called The Comforter.  I love that God knows - before we do - that this planet is going to break our hearts, destroy our spirit, take away hope, and make us feel despair.  

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2 Cor. 4:16)  

Wait.  What's the process to be "inwardly renewed day by day?"

"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen"  

Wait. Why do we do that? 

"Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 

So my choice - God's choice - is for me to choose my focus.  

What am I going to "look at?" 

Something temporary?

Something eternal?

Is it even possible to be so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good?  Should I be surprised to hear fellow believers espousing such a thing?

Stay tuned.

And feel free to comment.

Thank you for reading.

SIMPLE QUESTION

Most of us are too embarrassed to come right out and ask another person this question. 

Some of us have decided that if we HAVE TO ASK then the answer is probably some form of "not really."  We live our daily lives with this question at the root of most of what we do... though we don't consciously realize it. 
  
Sometimes the answer is obviously "no" -  but we don't want to see it, hear it, or believe it.  

The question? 

"Do you love me?"

It's such a simple question.  It's such a basic question. It's such a pitiful question to have to ask someone. Especially someone you have a relationship with.  It's a heartbreaking question for a child to have to ask a parent. "Dad, do you love me? Mom, do you love me?"  I cannot tell you the countless broken hearts of countless broken people whose root of brokenness began because they did not feel loved by Mom or Dad.

Marriages rise and fall apart on the truthful answer to this question.  "Do you love me? I mean, do you love ME? The real me? Do you LOVE me? Do you feel that feeling called LOVE for me? Are you doing what you do because you LOVE me or because you're stuck with me? Are you here out of duty or do you LOVE ME? Are you here because of the children or do you LOVE ME? Do you love me? Do you LOVE me?"

Jesus is not afraid to ask the question.  He requires.. REQUIRES us to answer it.  HONESTLY.  TRUTHFULLY.  

Jesus created us with the need to have the answer to this question...not only in our relationships with others.. but.. in the most important relationship we have. Our relationship with HIM.  

"Do you love Me?"

He asked Peter the Betrayer.  

"Do you love Me?"

He asks every Betrayer. 

He asks a simple question. 

"Do you love me?"