Do you feel like you’re not skilled at meeting new people? Do you sometimes feel awkward in social settings? Don’t worry, there’s no social awkwardness in Heaven. “Ok, but how will I deal with so many “strangers” in Heaven,” you might ask?
There will be no fear or anxiety of meeting new people because everyone there can be trusted fully and implicitly. No one will say anything offensive nor are they capable of physical harm. There will be no awkward relationships or jealously in Heaven. Earthly divorce or previous unions will not present difficult circumstances or be an elephant in the room. All emotional “baggage” will be washed away in the river of life resulting in restitution in all things and no misunderstandings hanging in the balance. Everyone will be in a state of utter relaxation. No one will be poised to react or be in a defensive posture toward others. When you meet new people, love will be the theme. You won’t know everyone like you know your friends and family, but you will be open and delighted to develop new relationships. Everyone in Heaven is your friend, but just like earthly relationships, you will need to spend time together to deepen the relationship. It really will be a pleasure to meet you my friend!
When we meet new people in Heaven, our non-verbal cues will radiate the love of Christ in such a way that everyone will feel comfortable in approaching persons they’ve never met.
When I started to allow the Lord to work in my life and change me from the inside out, the way I viewed humanity started to change. During that time, my wife Maria noticed the look on my face had changed as well. She showed me recent photographs and photographs from the past when we were first married. She was right, there was a change on my face. I also began to notice that people were approaching me for conversations—this wasn’t normal. In the past, people rarely approached me for conversations whether it was friends or strangers. Most people were just not comfortable approaching me because they perceived my non-verbal cues and stayed away.
When I was a child, I didn’t know how to deal with my emotional wounds. The result was that I shut myself down emotionally. One of the consequences of that decision was that I couldn’t relate to people’s emotions, and therefore, I lacked empathy and compassion. Being around other people was exhausting for me. I sought to be alone and I was not warm or engaging, I was a very selfish person and I was not capable of giving or receiving love. My non-verbal cues projected an aura of, ‘Do not approach.’
GOD saw past all of my hurt. He put His arms around me and flooded my life with love and healing. Because He loves me, I can love other people and I can perceive hurt in other people. I don’t judge them– I have compassion for them because I recognize my hurts in other people. Now my goal is to encourage people by sharing what GOD has done for me. Today, I feel drawn to people and I feel energized when I am interacting with others and developing relationships. I love to be around other people—it’s rewarding, not exhausting.
Imagine our non-verbal cues, in eternity. Our ability to perceive will be glorified and we will perceive other people’s characters and know something about them before we even speak together. We will also notice the rewards that Christ has given them at the Bema seat and realize what they have overcome and how they have been faithful. All of this will help us to relate and respect everyone very quickly.
How wonderful that a lack of trust or projecting a false image of ourselves will be absent in eternity. Tough outer shells will be replaced with gentleness and love. Lack of trust will be replaced with an openness and a transparency that invites and welcomes friendship. Our non-verbal cues will reel in and attract people.
In eternity, all the emotional wounds and fears that restricted us on Earth, will be eradicated. We will feel at home and perfectly comfortable with everyone. There will be no intimidation, manipulation, or forcing of wills. There will be no emotional vampires, no dysfunctional relationships because the fruits of the Spirit will be at the forefront of everyone’s personality. Jeremiah 30:17 says;
But, I will restore you to health and heal your wounds declares the Lord.
Reflection
Besides Jesus, who are you most looking forward to meeting in Heaven?