How Many Facebook Friends will You Have in Heaven?
One of our pastors recently asked us — “What do you think heaven will be like?”
What do you think?
There are a few things we know from Scripture about The New Heaven and the New Earth.
He [Jesus] will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Philippians 3:21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the old had disappeared … I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:1, 3–4
Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:1–2 (NCV)
Wow! I can only imagine! Right?!
Maybe you’ve imagined streets of gold, a city wall made of Jasper, Onyx, Sapphire, and Emerald, and gates made from a single pearl. Maybe you think about walking and talking with Jesus or seeing the splendor of God Himself.
Amazing and awesome!
Some people believe heaven will be the restoration of paradise, like the Garden of Eden.
I’ll admit when I have stopped to think about heaven, I tend to focus on being with Jesus and my loved ones without pain and suffering. I don’t spend much time thinking about the rest; although, I do imagine us living well in community with things to do. And although I believe our lives will be full of joyful gratitude and praise, I don’t believe heaven will be an eternal church service. (Picture me smiling here.)
So, why the title…
How Many Facebook Friends will You Have in Heaven?
Because our pastor’s question prompted a thought I’d never had before.
Will we have technology in heaven?
Think about it … for thousands of years no one would have even considered the possibility but now maybe you wonder. I mean really, if you’re like me, you can’t imagine a day without technology. In fact, I’ll be honest with you, I get a little cranky when the I can’t get online. And what about phones, television, microwaves … well, you get the idea.
So, I asked Rev and my dad what they thought about technology in heaven.
And their immediate reaction was an absolute – “NO!”
They both felt that although there are some good things about living in the age of instant information and entertainment, they didn’t believe it would be part of God’s new heaven and earth.
Which took my “stream of consciousness” brain to the idea for this post and I started wondering about the vast amount of time I spend on things that are so very temporary.
I thought about all the time I spend on social media and asked myself – WHY?
Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and…
I believe there are a lot of good things happening on the various platforms.
- Bloggers use social media to let people know about their latest posts or projects.
- Followers of Jesus use it to share their faith and glorify God.
- We use it to ask for prayer and to tell people we are praying for them.
- And make close friends in parts of the world we may never visit in person.
But it’s also a place where we can…
- Boast and brag.
- Impress and persuade.
- Compare and criticize.
- Judge and bully.
- Reject and block.
- And that only touches the surface – right?
Honestly, I don’t have any real answers … I’m not even sure what I think but I do believe God wants me to stop and think about it!
So, I’m going to take some time to pray and wonder… if technology and social media aren’t things God wants for my eternity, are they things I should be making so important now?!
I want to question the tension between using technology and social media for God’s glory and the possibility of it becoming an idol for self-glorification.
I need to consider whether or not I’m spending too much time on the unimportant and not enough time on the eternal because…
Heaven is real!
One of my favorite verses is John 14:3
Jesus said, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am.”
Jesus, the Way, Truth, and Life promises to personally come and take me to live with Him eternally. It’s a promise He’s made for everyone who loves and trusts in Him.
I didn’t give anything up for Lent this year but I am giving up Facebook for Holy Week.
I want to spend the week ahead thinking about heaven and the sacrifice Jesus made to make it possible for you and me to spend eternity there with Him.
What do you think? What is heaven going to be like?
How many Facebook fans you’ll have in heaven?
If the answer is – we won’t have Facebook in heaven…
Then maybe you and I need to do a better job of making Facebook, our cell phones, and all the other technology “idols” we depend on, a little less important here on earth.
A Facebook Fast for Holy Week
If you are part of my Blessing Bloggers group on Facebook, I will be scheduling our daily threads in advance so you can still share your posts and prayers.
I need this break to spend more time with Jesus; so, I won’t be hosting our Link Party next week but I’ll be back here two weeks from today … so excited to catch up with all of you.
I will also be here with my regular Monday posts – have you subscribed yet?
May your Holy Week and Easter celebration be blessed!
Praise God – we have so very much to celebrate!
I don’t think our eternity will be a continual worship service either. About social media today? God said to occupy till he comes. I think the trouble is that we struggle to make it about ourselves instead of God, as well as the things you listed. I just came off a break, mostly because I am recovering from tendinitis in my biceps. However God has used that time to let go of what has been way too important. You know? Regular breaks are healthy to keep our thinking aligned with his will. Enjoy your time away with him!
I tried, but I couldn’t picture technology in Heaven! Have a blessed Easter, this Easter. Blessings to you.
I think it’s great that you are taking a fast from social media during Holy Week, Deb. Sometimes, we need to draw back from the tech stuff and get real with God. I’m planning to write a blog for Tuesday next, and take a break for about ten days. I won’t be spending much time on Facebook either during this time.
Have a blessed Easter!
We have such a talent for turning God’s good gifts into idols that get in the way of our devotion to Him. Social media is only one of the many ways we turn a medium into the main thing.
Taking a break now and then is so good for us. I’m looking forward to one in April.
And these are the reasons why I don’t like Facebook:
Boast and brag.
Impress and persuade.
Compare and criticize.
Judge and bully.
Reject and block.
And I see this even in “Christian” groups which is why I no longer participate. Thank God there won’t be any technology in Heaven.
Great idea to take Easter week off! I think I may follow your lead!! 🙂
Wow. Thanks for your transparency Deb. I think I needed this. I have been asking myself some of the same questions of late. Which is strange, because I just wrote a blog post that has received quite a bit of attention, (I’m thankful for it), and yet it was oddly not as satisfying as I would expect. I hope that doesn’t sound bad…
All I have ever wanted to do was write- and use the gift of writing to reach people for the Lord. But I wrestle. Is my writing really reaching the people I’m trying to? Or would it be more beneficial to spend my days trying to reach people for God, in REAL time, (face to face relationship)??
I’m not sure what the answer is yet, but I do believe so strongly that relationships are where it’s at.
So maybe less time on social media, and more time with face to face connections…
Still processing.
I’ll be praying for you during your respite. May God meet you in a whole new way this week! Love you.
I’ve never entertained the thought of technology in heaven. Yet, I agree that if we won’t have it there, we should limit it here.
I’ve been thinking about this lately as well. I’m trying to find the balance of being a good steward and pursuing excellence while separating myself from the desire for “likability”. My family institutes a day of silence once a week but I might join you in a technology fast for holy week.
I think we won’t need social media in heaven but if we have it, it will be only the good parts version. I think i need to do that now, as well! happy easter season, my beautiful and wise friend. s.
Hi Deb,
I have been to Heaven when I had a near death experience giving birth to my son. My heart stopped from massive blood loss of severe hemorrhage. My second book has all the details 🙂 of what I experienced in Heaven while the medical team worked to bring me back…
No, no technology was to be seen at all!
I am deliberately not on Facebook, twitter or any of the social media formats.
As while I was the Adolescent & Family Counselor for this whole region (1000 sq km) I had to address so many serious breaches of trust with teens, that it completely gave me a very cautious bias. Having to get law enforcement involved on many, many occasions!
Overall social media can be very dangerous in young & unwise hands! I have found the concept of social media both voyeuristic & exhibitionist in the main. And we have just seen the breach of Facebook itself in selling private details of their customers to dangerous social & political manipulators…
Great post! Very thought provoking! Thank you!
Jennifer
Wow, no technology in heaven. I will say I am going to ponder the questions you posed. Am I spending too much time on things that are temporal? Thank you and enjoy your extra time with God this week.
Thank you for linking up with Grace & Truth.
Deb, I’ve never been on Facebook so I guess my answer to the question in your title is none. 🙂 As far as technology in heaven, I’ve never thought about it but I’m guessing not! I can’t give any reason for that, though, other than why would we need it when we are physically present with Jesus? I hope your break from Facebook is refreshing and productive.
This is something I have been struggling with so much over the last year especially. Social Media wasn’t something I took to right away. It took years for me to grow into it. Then when it became a tool for blogging and a way to connect with new friends who then became dear friends, I adapted even more. These last few months I have taken more and more time away from it because sometimes the view is just clearer from a distance. Not letting it consume our time is extremely difficult. Especially for bloggers. So, I don’t have the answer either, but you are onto something. And my distance allowed me greater peace in my day-to-day. With the latest happenings with Facebook which has sparked so much conversation, I sometimes wonder if more and more people will disengage because it has just become tooooooo much. Praying for clarity for us all! Love you, friend!!!