Raising My Children to be Heavenly Minded for Earthly Good

There is a saying in English that goes like this – "To be heavenly-minded is to be of no earthly good." This saying assumes that the more we focus on heaven, the more we neglect the world, or that we live with our "head in the clouds."

However, for a believer in Jesus Christ, being heavenly-minded (or having an eternal perspective) does not mean we are no good to anyone while we live on earth. It's quite the opposite. Our goal as Christians must be to set our minds on things above in order to serve God and people faithfully while He keeps us in this world.

The life of Jim Elliot serves as a compelling example of how being heavenly-minded can lead to extraordinary earthly good. Elliot's most famous words have always been my favorite – "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Read that again.

Only a man with his eyes fixed on eternity could speak words with so much depth and conviction.

Jim Elliot (1927-1956) was an American Christian missionary, who dedicated his life to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Born in Portland, Oregon, he grew up with a strong Christian faith, having resolved to commit his life to missions from an early age. He graduated from Wheaton College, where he met Elisabeth Howard, who later became his wife.

Compelled by a passion to reach the unreached with the gospel, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot obediently followed the Lord's call to the Ecuadorian jungle. Elliot initiated contact with the Waodani tribe, a previously uncontacted and notoriously hostile group. Tragically, on January 8, 1956, Jim and four others were speared to death by the Auca/Waodani tribe, the very people they sought to serve and minister to.

In his diary, Elliot wrote, "I seek not a long life but a full life, like that of Jesus Christ." His prayer was answered – though he died young he had a full life – a life lived with eternity in mind, a life more concerned about the things of heaven than of this world. The legacy of his life extends far beyond his untimely death. His unwavering commitment to sharing the Gospel, even in the face of danger, continues to inspire us even today.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live our everyday lives with an eternal perspective like this? A perspective that transforms mundane experiences into opportunities for God's glory, and turns every challenge into a chance to share Christ and fulfill a greater purpose? I know some people like this, and you may too. They go shopping and end up sharing the gospel with the cashier. Or they are admitted to the hospital and all the floor nurses are witnessed to. Why? Because everything they do flows from their relationship with Christ and is for His glory and the extension of His kingdom. Their minds are set on things above.

This is the mindset I want to raise my girls to have. The world says otherwise, but I have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that raising children is so much more than educating them and teaching them to have good manners. It is much more than what Ivy-league university they get into, or what musical instrument they master. There is so much more at stake for our children than these things. Yes, these are all good things, but they are not the most important thing.

And this is what I want to remember always in this season of mothering my little girls. While it is our job to prepare them to live on this earth, it is far more important for us to prepare them for eternity.

So how do we do that?

There are many ways we can do this. I'd love to share some approaches I've found effective and useful with my children; perhaps they'll resonate with you too!

• I use everyday situations to talk to them about how short our life here on earth is. It's like that first bite of cotton candy. It hits your mouth and it's gone. Our earthly life is short, but the best is yet to come when we go to be with Jesus in heaven.
• I teach them Scriptures such as Ecclesiastes 3:11 – " . . . Also, he has put eternity into man's heart . . . " and I explain what it means – that God has put something within us that longs for more than this life. This clarifies a great deal about the longings of our hearts. The sadness we feel when a wonderful family vacation comes to an end. Or when we lose a beloved toy. When we receive the new Lego set we've been wanting forever . . . only to lose interest once we're done with it. Or the joy we feel at the beach with our loved ones, wanting it to last forever. I talk about how these things of this world will never satisfy us because we were created for more joy. We were made for heaven. For eternity.
• We talk about our wants and desires and what it means to store up treasures in heaven. And we try and keep things in perspective. When our little sister breaks a favorite toy, we acknowledge the disappointment but realize it's only a toy. We can't take it with us to heaven.
• I teach them to be content. An eternal perspective allows us as believers to avoid the allure of greed, realizing that we can be content with whatever we have, even if it is only food or clothing. "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content" (I Timothy 6:6-8).
• We accept the good gifts God gives us here and enjoy them with grateful hearts, but we hold them loosely with upturned palms. So even if they are taken away, we don't feel and act like the world has ended. The Bible says in 1 John 2:15 – "Do not love the world or the things of the world . . . " Hold them all loosely because they are not forever. Jim Elliot's loose grip on his life enabled him to risk it for the sake of the gospel.
• We, as a family, are part of a local church, joining together with the saints in worshipping God every Sunday. As believers we have an eternal perspective – in heaven we will finally be able to worship God forever in a way that will honor Him as He should be. It will be perfect then. Yet, every attempt of worship here on this earth, however imperfect, is a sort of dress rehearsal for the real thing. It is a glimpse of what heaven will be like. And it is our joy to offer our children a glimpse of this truth.
• When we are sick and hurting, we remember that the Bible says – "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). We've talked about this so much that when my little girl was about 4 or 5, she kept crying while throwing up, "I wish I could be with Jesus right now because there is no sickness in heaven!" My heart was both devastated and proud at the same time!
• We keep walking along the narrow way. We introduce them to Jesus. We teach them His Word. We talk about Him and to Him, often. We talk of heaven. Of eternity – that we get to spend with God if we believe. With God's help, we strive to teach them in grace and respond with patience. Apologize when we are wrong. Show them how to forgive, and ask for forgiveness from others. Even when it gets hard, we show them Christ's love daily.
• As a mother, I must strive to be an example to my children. My priorities, my choices, and desires must reflect that I seek the things that are above. I cannot lead my children heavenward if I am not heading in that same direction myself.
• And we remember that though heaven and earth and cotton candy will pass away, the Word of God will stand forever. It will never pass away. And soon, we will meet our God and live with Him forever.

I do this because I long for my daughters to grow to become faithful women of God. For them to stand firm upon God's Word and to share it with others. I know I cannot do any of this in my own strength. When I think about raising my children to be heavenly-minded for earthly good, I know the best thing for them is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ above all else. A relationship with Christ will create in them a desire to live excellently on this earth because God is excellent. It will cultivate in them a desire to honour their teachers because God instructs it. A desire to be good stewards of all that God gives them, as the Lord intends. A desire to be kind and compassionate just like Christ is. A relationship with Jesus Christ will help them "walk as if the next step would carry you across the threshold of Heaven" (Jim Elliot).

Therefore, as a mother, I will continue to point them to Jesus and pray for their hearts to be receptive to Him. In doing this I continue to have this unique perspective in my parenting – an eternal one. And whenever I feel the enticing pull of the world to do otherwise, I cling to the words of the Apostle Paul –

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8).

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

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Shiphrah Lakka

Shiphrah loves all things chocolate, deep conversations, baking, and getting lost in a good book. She is passionate about encouraging families to learn God's word together. The lockdown has rekindled her love for writing and she documents all that the Lord is teaching her on her blog - boredandbusymama.com. She lives in Thane, India with her husband and two adorable daughters.

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