If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
— Colossians 3:1–4

I’ve never been afraid of going to Disney World. I remember the first time I went, I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited (which is crazy, because I was 25 years old)! That park has such a magical reputation that even young kids who have no real concept of what it is get very excited about it.

Unfortunately, heaven does not have that same magical reputation. Let’s be honest. We don’t get as excited about going to heaven as we do about going on vacation. I’ve been thinking about why that is, and I have come to a possible answer: we don’t approach heaven as if it is a real place (like Disney World).

The only time most of us talk about heaven is at funerals, and even then we don’t talk about it as if it is a place for us to go. We talk about it as a place for the dead to go. Most of the time it feels like a nice story we tell people so they don’t feel bad about the fact that their loved ones died. It’s the same farm we send our pets to when we don’t want to explain death to our children. No wonder heaven seems like a lame place.

But I’ve got news for you: heaven is real! Heaven is not a place that the dead go, it’s a place where those who are very much alive go. Heaven was not created to be a place of comfort for the dead. Heaven is a place of ultimate goodness, fellowship, meaning, love and celebration, created for you by God.

Heaven is everything that you love, magnified by infinity. Heaven is relationships without pretense. Heaven is worship without separation. Heaven is meaningful work without stress. Heaven is laughter without pain. Heaven is playing without getting tired, growing without deteriorating. Heaven is everything you love in its ultimate form, including yourself. It is an eternal paradise, where you live in perfect fellowship with God. Heaven is not boring or monotonous. It is vibrant and dynamic.

Heaven is real, and it is what you were created for. Heaven is the reflection of God’s original design purpose for us. I believe that it will not be awkward or difficult like this fallen world often is, because it will be the world you were actually created for. We have so much to look forward to. Today, set your mind on the reality of heaven. Let it fill your heart. Dream about all thing things you will do there. Have conversations with God and other Christians about what you think it will be like. What would you like to do when you get there? Who are you excited to meet? Is there a food you want to try there that you can’t eat here? There are no allergies in heaven, so think about that! Set your mind on things above.