Have you ever had someone say to you “I’m living the dream.”?

If you’ve ever heard someone say that, I can tell you that it isn’t true when they are still alive, because nothing in this life will ever compare to our being with Jesus in eternity!

I often attempt to gain greater understanding of what it will be like when I’m with Jesus, in person, forever.

It will be forever in the presence of our perfect God, our Lord and Savior. I don’t understand that now.

It will be a sinless experience. I don’t understand that now.

It will be without any interference from evil. I don’t understand that now.

It will be eternity with complete contentment. I don’t understand that now.

It will be with eternal satisfaction. I don’t understand that now – and no distractions when you pray and/or worship!

1 Corinthians 13:9 states it this way: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part [for our knowledge is fragmentary and incomplete].”

My knowledge now is certainly “fragmentary and incomplete”. But God plans a time when everything will be different. He will fill in every blank I need to know!

This is why, for those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the best is yet to come. It will take place when His followers meet Him personally.

This may happen today, if He decides my work on this earth is completed; or it may take place should He return and we meet Him as He steps back into our world:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

The most important decision we need to make is to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation. It is the most urgent matter in our lives.

Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Do you find yourself increasingly looking to Him, depending upon Him, and trusting Him with your life?

If you answer yes to these questions, what evidence [the Bible calls it fruit] is there in your life that you are the new person He has promised you are because of His gift of eternal life? 

Galatians 5:22-23 states that evidence of a new life in Christ will be found with these characteristics: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Please remember, we don’t accept Jesus and immediately bear all this fruit in any perfect way. In fact, God is working these aspects into our character on a daily basis, when we are His followers. I know that I am far more of each of these today than I was 38 years ago when I accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation. I expect to have even more evidence of the fruit of His Spirit with each day I live. It is not something I can work into my character. It is something He weaves into me as I walk with Him. It is especially during the hard times that I experience His transforming power.

Philippians 1:21 in the Berean Bible states: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

That verse has greater meaning to me today than it has ever had before. 

I’m here today because God has designated my days for His glory and honor. I am to be His messenger, not only in words, but also in action. When my words and actions combined portray the same message, then I am truly a stronger witness to the greatness of God. To me, that is what the verse means in the phrase “to live is Christ”. 

It means, He suffered, I suffer.

It means, He was encouraged and strengthened by the Father, so am I.

It means, He is resurrected and alive for eternity, and one day I will be also.

When I die in this body, I will then gain, for all eternity, everything else Jesus has planned for me, beginning with my heavenly home!  John 14:3 gives this promise from Jesus: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Every day that I, as a follower of Jesus, am in this world, I am have only the beginning of what it will be for me when I enter eternity with Him. But God sent Jesus out from His presence into this world to save us, so that one day we will live in the fullness of His presence.

Jesus left the best possible example for us. Therefore, I should be content now with His promises of my eternal future with Him. So being here now is because He still has work for me to do for His kingdom. 

I also realize I should never be angry with God for taking anybody out of this life who is going to be with him. After all, I do want what is best for others, and the best for them is being with Jesus. This is not a place we can “live the dream”. The dream of our hearts can only be fulfilled when we get to heaven with Jesus.

Please don’t miss out on the best God has for you. This could be the day of your eternal salvation. I would be glad to discuss eternal life versus eternal damnation. Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you want to talk about having a relationship with Jesus.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.