“Hey Mom, will I be able to fly in Heaven?”
“Can I take my lovie to Heaven?”
“Before I was in your belly, was I in Heaven with Jesus?”
“Is Taylor Swift going to Heaven?”
Does anybody else field questions like these?? I’ve got a seminary degree, and my kids regularly stump me! But I absolutely love that they are trying to wrap their heads around an eternal reality.
Ok, sure. Eternal perspective might not be a traditional “value” but I’d argue it’s the most important gift we could give to our kids. The hope of eternity spent with God in Heaven might be abstract, but it’s a foundational principle for the Christ-following family. Having an eternal perspective means we understand that this broken world is not our true home. And, this perspective should change everything about how we live, especially how we parent.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the believer has the assurance of eternal life in Heaven with God. As the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it, “He has also put eternity in their hearts” (3:11).
An eternal mindset gives us perspective.
Recognizing that this life is “vapor,” a tiny dot in the eternal timeline is humbling. It’s also freeing. We don’t have to get caught up in the rat race of life because we know the best is yet to come. A family with an eternal perspective knows the things of this earth will never truly satisfy, so they are not enslaved by them.
An eternal perspective also gives us freedom in parenting. This article by Katie Polski of Rooted Ministries is worth reading in its entirety, but this quote is so wise:
“But being mindful of our heavenly future provides a needed outlook. The Scriptures that point to our future hope paints a picture of God’s absolute power and majesty. The only appropriate response to this kind of supreme holiness is complete humility.
To think that I alone have the power to either mess up my child’s life or to make it the best it can be is to give my humanness way too much credit. And to think that the way my child turns out is purely the result of my parenting unduly diminishes the power and might of our Sovereign Lord. It is Jesus alone who has complete control of my child’s life.”
It reorients our priorities.
An eternal perspective often means our priorities look different from the rest of the world. When we view today in light of the long tomorrow, we will make different decisions.
Joni Eareckson Tada writes in Heaven: Your Real Home,
“When a Christian realizes his citizenship is in heaven, he begins acting as a responsible citizen of earth. He invests wisely in relationships because he knows they’re eternal. His conversations, goals and motives become pure and honest because he realizes these will have a bearing on everlasting reward. …He gives generously of time, money, and talent because he’s laying up treasure for eternity. He spreads the good news of Christ because he longs to fill heaven’s ranks with his friends and neighbors. All this serves the pilgrim well not only in heaven but on earth; for it serves everyone around him.”
Give us hope in times of suffering.
Being heavenly-minded gives us the hope we need to endure hardship and pain in this life. Suffering is a reality of this broken world and having an eternal perspective doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to the difficulties of this life. Instead, it means we can endure our afflictions because we know they are “for a moment…working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) We have a clear view and level head in the temporary, but our eyes are locked on a what’s eternal.
Whether or not an “eternal perspective” makes it on your Family Creed, the reality of eternity should impact the way we live and parent. I don’t know about you but, it’s easy for me to get caught up in worldly worries and temporary satisfactions. I need this reminder often. So glad my kids keep me on my toes, what better way to remind myself of the truth than to teach it to someone else?
What more resources for talking to your kids about eternity? Sign up here and I’ll send you children’s book recommendations, discussion questions, and ideas for making eternity tangible for our families.
Looking To Eternity With My Kids

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