Animating the Hope of Heaven By Cortney Donelson

Photo Cred: www.filmmakingstuff.com

My son animates toys and other props to create stories. His Lego pieces, cameras, computer software, costumes, and a healthy dose of patience come together to create realistic scenes showcasing his creativity and imagination. It’s amazing. 

When we animate something, we bring it to life. We give it breath. We give it teeth. Just as our soul animates our bodies, as believers, we have the opportunity – the obligation even – to bring to life the hope of Heaven and the promise of an eternity with God. There are so many who need to experience this hope, and we are the vessels charged with pouring out the Spirit’s breath. 

It’s the ultimate animation mission. Those who know about Christ but choose not to know Christ likely don’t believe or understand the weight or consequences of that spiritual choice. To know about Him and to know Him are two distinctly different relationships. The first is simply recognition. The other results in salvation. When we animate the hope of Heaven for others, it means we bridge the gap for those living apart from the Holy Spirit and highlight all the reasons they should choose to start an intimate relationship with God through Christ.

So, how do we do this? How do we fulfill this Great Commission? We live out the story of our salvation. Just as my son animates his stories through the use of figurines and technology, we are to animate God’s redemptive story through our words, actions, and choices. Our convictions and values must match our behaviors and priorities. Otherwise, the story falls apart. Authenticity is realized when what’s on the inside matches what we show on the outside. It’s when our soul and spirit pair with our actions in harmony. 

All too often I watch those who label themselves as Christians choose words, reactions, and activities that go against the biblical principles they say they support. When that happens, both the story of Christ’s relentless love and the mission of reaching unbelievers fall apart. We cannot animate the hope of Heaven when we say we know Christ and then act in direct opposition to His very truths and lessons. I’ve seen moms meet for gossip over coffee. There are fathers who neglect their families for their jobs. This weekend, church will be replaced by sporting events for many families. Serving opportunities have become synonymous with chores. The old-fashioned chores have become responsibilities to complain about. Materialism has replaced faith as life’s main pursuit. The promise of quick and easy success has outshone God’s promise of the hard and narrow road that will lead to our divine purposes.

I am not pointing fingers. I am far from perfect. Try as I do, my breath and teeth hold more anger and bite than I’d like. I have caught myself longing for more worldly treasures on too many occasions. I’ve played the comparison game. The difference is that I am convicted when I do so. I choose to stop and try again. In essence, I submit to the Spirit within me. I turn the other way and go a different direction that more closely matches Christ’s priorities and choices. I believe that my repentance and the obvious shift in my outward behavior plays a leading role in animating the hope of Heaven, for when others see my efforts to change and be authentic, they are appreciative. This isn’t about hypocrisy. It’s about mulligans ... do-overs. It’s about sharing our imperfect stories, our mistakes, and our cracks in order to give God’s grace and forgiveness the teeth it needs to break through the hearts of those who simply know about Him. 

So, if you say you’re all in, that you want to be faithful, that you believe there’s a Kingdom of Heaven, and you trust in God’s promises and His Word, then maybe it’s time to ensure your inside beliefs and values match your external choices. And, when you mess up (we all do), share your story. Repent. Be real. Be honest. Animate your transformation.  Come alongside those who don’t yet realize the significance of what an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father can do to change everything. Give the Spirit life and breath through you and your new choices.

It's time our convictions match our conduct. Let’s animate the hope of Heaven together. Cameras rolling. Background moving. Action...

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are more than welcome here. Please fill us with every fruit of Yourself that will cause us to live in harmony with God and with authenticity. We pray for those who only know of You and don’t know You intimately. We pray that our words and choices would help point others to You. We pray we don’t straddle any societal fences in efforts to bring peace and happiness, but that we allow Jesus as the Prince of Peace to reign and bring true joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Influenced by Matthew 7:20, James 2:19, Revelation 3:15-16, James 2:10-12, 1 John 2:15-16, my prayer life, my involvement with icuTalks, Inc, and my own story.

©2012-2016 Cortney Donelson. All rights reserved.

Cortney's book, Clay Jar Cracked, is available on Lulu.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sites, and includes print, e-pub, nook, and kindle versions until June 15, 2016. Look for an updated version under New York publisher Morgan James, to be publicly released March 7, 2017 (pre-orders for September 2016 delivery available in June)! Visit www.cortneydonelson.com for more information! To schedule speaking engagements, please email Cortney directly.