When I was a child, we Sunday school kids loved to belt out this sing-songy little chorus:

• Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine,
• Flooding my soul with glory divine!
• Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine,
• Hallejuiah! Jesus is mine!

I always thought the best word in there was “heavenly.” If something was heavenly, I knew it was extra good. I figured heavenly sunshine must be superior to earthly sunshine, which was already pretty nice. Mom fed into my thinking without realizing it when she described something phenomenal as, “Out of this world!”

Although I was young, I was on the right track. Scripture says we should all spend time thinking about what’s going on in heaven. Of course the best thing there is the Godhead, and thinking about our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is always a worthwhile mental investment.

Since Nate died, I’ve been investing a great deal of new thought on his being “out of this world,” and according to the Bible, these thoughts have God’s stamp of approval. Colossians says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven.” (3:1) Although I can’t detail exactly what Nate is doing, seeing, or thinking, I know all of it is heavenly, so it must be phenomenal.

When we follow God’s urging to think heavenward, the result is that we’re lifted out of our present-day doldrums and planted into the supernatural. And this is a very specific supernatural that belongs only to Jesus Christ. Although he knows we’re currently grounded on earth with its frustrations and limitations, he invites us to pick up one foot and plant it in eternity… right now. When we do, it changes our view of earthly life.

We’ve all heard the expression, “She’s so heavenly minded, she’s no earthly good.” That’s not what Scripture means. We can “think heavenly” without having our “head in the clouds.” Jesus wants us to claim the blessings he died to give us, not just in the hereafter, but today. He wants us to think about him waiting for us and meditate on the home he’s preparing for us. He says when we do, the negative influence of our current troubles will shrink. Even more importantly, he wants us to think about our membership in his family. By accepting salvation, we’ve died to earthly existence and have come alive spiritually. And he means today, right now.

When we practice “thinking heavenly,” we’re transported above the down and dirty parts of everyday living to the coming conclusion of our lives as believers. And that’s ok by me: closer to Jesus, closer to Nate, and closer to all of that heavenly sunshine!

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2,3)