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Key Bible Verse: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15, NIV) Bonus Reading: Colossians 3:23

I believe work will be part of our heavenly experience, though in a much different way than we typically think. Want to understand what [work in] heaven will be like? Look at Earth before the fall. Here's what we discover: work predated evil. That's because we're made in God's image, and he is creative. In his image, we are creators. Thus we will "work."

If you're thoroughly fulfilled with your vocation, then you're experiencing a little slice of heaven here and now. If you find work arduous and dull, you have much to look forward to, for your work in heaven will be a delight!

It's inherently inadequate to envision heaven with earthly examples, but to stimulate your imagination, do two things. First, picture what work would be like without your associated negatives. Strip out the downsides and detriments. Next, think of your dream job—the absolute best job description you could write for yourself. If you love to cook, perhaps you'll be a chef at one of heaven's many fine restaurants. If you enjoy nothing more than being around animals, you might run a stable full of celestial creatures. Be sure, too, that there will be many fascinating roles we as yet know nothing about.

—Jim Garlow with Keith Wall in Heaven and the Afterlife

My Response: The most heavenly job I can imagine for myself would be …

Thought to Apply: Heavenly work will not be drudgery. Never again will you have a demanding boss, crabby colleagues, relentless deadlines, mountains of paperwork, backaches, or tedium.—Jim Garlow

Adapted from Heaven and the Afterlife (Bethany House, 2009) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.

Copyright © 2010 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Prayer for the Week

Dear heavenly Father, help me to not only reflect on heaven and the afterlife but to also consider what eternity has to do with how I live in the here and now.

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