Break Out the Wine, Well, Maybe the Punch

I want to be the REASON for the party, I just don't necessarily want to BE at the party!!!  After reading that statement, you may think I've been drinking or I've lost my mind but hear me out because I haven't done either (well, except for the mind part maybe but it's not completely gone yet)!  I'm ready for heaven but I don't think heaven is ready for me just yet!  I think I have some more work to do here on Earth.  Anyway, read on and see what my time with God this morning consisted of:

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent...Luke 15:7.  If we want heaven to throw a party in our honor, we just have to take a close look at our life and evaluate a sin we NEED to stop doing and then with God's help, stop doing it...then, THE PARTY IS ON! But that is easier said than done. Repentance takes guts; it takes wiping the smudge off our OWN glasses and looking in the mirror at ourselves. 

What, in our life, do we need to change so that our life resembles that of Christ? Do we need to take off our judgmental hat? Break the chain of gossip? Forgive the person who's hurt us so badly with their backbiting? Stop going to the websites to view porn? Lay the bottle of pills or alcohol to the side and decide today is the day to stop? Be kind and considerate instead of snippy and hateful? Pay what we owe instead of going and buying more and more? Stop lying?  Stop over-indulging in food? The list could go on and on and on. 

It is hard to stop what we become accustomed to doing when it comes to sin because if it weren't, everyone would do it.  But the first step is to recognize the wrong and when we do that; when we say "God, I KNOW it's wrong and I need Your help to overcome this in my life," He alerts the angels to begin getting the party supplies.  And with His strength and help, we begin to stop our destructive habit...that's when the party breaks out!  

So let's be the one they honor today with a party in heaven.  Let's look closely and ask God to reveal one thing in our life that needs to be done away with so heaven can break out the cookie cake and balloons and celebrate!