Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
An Eternal Mindset
Do you have any recurring dreams? I have several. Some of them leave me feeling anxious, while others leave me feeling free. There is one in particular that I want to talk about today that fascinates me. In this dream I have a huge mansion. The part that I love is that the master suite is a house in and of itself. It has all of the rooms that you would find in a normal home – Bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room. When I enter the master suite, it feels like a safe haven where I can escape or hide.
In real life I don’t have a habit of visiting mansions, but personally I have never seen a house inside of a house before. And that part of the dream is what really intrigues me. As well as the safety I feel when entering the suite.
My husband and I were at a funeral a while back and the pastor referenced John 14:2. It really struck me because of the Bible translation he used (KJV). Jesus said: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Did you catch that? Inside this house there are mansions. The King James Version makes it sound like there are houses inside of a house. I normally read NIV, in which Jesus says there are many rooms inside His Father’s house. That is more along the lines of what we are used to in a home. But when the pastor read the words from the KJV, it jolted me, as I thought about my recurring dream.
(According to David Guzik’s commentary: “In light of the ancient Greek, mansions is better translated ‘dwelling places.’ The noun mone – connected to the verb meno, ‘stay’ or ‘remain’ – means ‘a place to stay.’ In light of God’s nature, it is better to translate it mansions. Whatever dwelling place God has for us in heaven, it will be as glorious as a mansion.”) 1
Jesus said these words to His disciples to comfort them. At different times, Jesus had told them that He would have to leave, He told them He would die, and He told them He would be resurrected. They couldn’t comprehend any of this. And, understandably, it grieved them.
So Jesus was leaving them with a promise. He was preparing a place for them. They would be able to join Him one day. They would be welcomed with open arms. They could stay in His Father’s house. They would have a safe haven.
This promise is true for us as believers, as well. I know it depresses some to think about our departure from earth, and I am sorry if that is you. But let it bring us comfort to know that we have a glorious home to look forward to. I can’t wait until we are all together in Heaven. We will be safe. There will be no more pain or sorrow. We will have all of our believing family and friends with us. We will be reunited with the loved ones that are waiting for us. For those of us who have family scattered in different places, we will have the joy of being together again, without worrying about travel. For those of us who blog, we will get to meet friends that we have only talked to electronically. And best of all, we will be with the Lord.
May we live with an eternal mindset. May we remain aware of the fact that this home is temporary. One day we will be in our forever home.
When we live with an eternal mindset we will put God first in our lives. In Matthew 6:33 (NIV) Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Maybe you are wondering, what are “all these things?” In the verses prior to this one, Jesus says not to worry about things like food and clothes. He assures us that the Father will provide for our needs. In verse 26, Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Reflecting on these verses helps us to see that having an eternal mindset also brings us peace. We remember that God is in control and He is trustworthy. We realize that the hardships of this world pale in comparison to what we look forward to. In Romans 8:18 Paul said, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” (NLT)
When we live with an eternal mindset, we will be careful how things rank in our hearts. In Matthew 6:19-21, a few verses before the ones I mentioned above, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
When we live with an eternal mindset, we are careful with our words and actions. We want to do everything for the glory of God. Colossians 3:17 (NIV) it says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
All of this leaves us with two key takeaways:
1 – Jesus has prepared a place for us. I hope this truth brings us comfort. This speaks loudly of the Lord’s love and care for us. He has adopted us into His family, and He welcomes us into His home. What joy awaits us!
2 – May we keep in mind what is eternal and what isn’t. This will help shape our actions, our words, our possessions, and so much more. Our time will be used wisely. We will become better stewards of our money. We will be more mindful of what items we allow in our homes. We will be quick to share the Gospel with others. Overall, I believe we will be more intentional in every area of our lives, when we have an eternal mindset.
(Side note… I have a blogger friend who has said to me recently that he doesn’t want to sound preachy in his posts. And I feel the same. So I wanted to take this opportunity to say that if I do happen to sound preachy, please know that I am always preaching to myself too. I am far from perfect. I want Jesus to make me more like Him. And as I learn and grow, I try to share those things with you. I appreciate you being here. I consider you all to be friends. And whether it be in posts or comments, I love when we can help each other grow. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). Thank you for being here. I hope you know how much I appreciate it. I know there are a million other things you can be doing with your time. And it means more than you know, that you take the time to stop by and join me on this journey.)
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
1. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Jhn/Jhn-14.cfm?a=1011002
Bridget A. Thomas 
Thank you for blessing us through this message. You definitely don’t sound preachy, but what a beautiful reminder of our future home. It’s easy to get entangled with the cares of this world, but it’s a blessing to remember our eternal home is in Heaven!
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Renee, it is always wonderful to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree – our eternal home will be glorious. What joy we have to look forward to! Have a blessed day, my friend! 🦋
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What a beautiful reminder of what lies ahead for us and to live with that perspective. It was really interesting to read about your dream and how you felt while in that house within the mansion. It stirs me to think of how wonderfully safe and at peace we would feel in our eternal home. And living with that eternal perspective sure changes what we view as important in this world.
I look forward to meeting you in eternity my friend. And you do not sound preachy at all, I always write with the same perspective too, sharing what I learn. Many blessings to you dear friend. You do Sharpen me and I am grateful to have this friendship through this space 🤗💙💐
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So true, our eternal home will be safe and peaceful. What joy awaits us! But until then, we can live with an eternal mindset. I agree – it does change our perspective on so many things.
I look forward to meeting you too, my friend. Thank you for all that you said. It encourages me to know that we are on the same page. You sharpen me as well, through all of our communications. God is so good to have brought friendships to us in this way. I am so thankful for that! 🦋🤗
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Another comforting post Bridget. Maybe we’ll get to be neighbors in heaven and walk down those streets of gold together. 🙂 It WILL be nice to meet all who contributed to helping me grow, who encouraged me, shared the journey and the burdens and shone their light in the dark. Thanks for being heavenly minded my friend and sharing your heart for God and His kingdom. It will be so nice to meet you. 💕
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That sounds wonderful. Instead of wannabe neighbors, we can be real neighbors. I love it! I agree – There are so many people who have helped shape us and our walk with the Lord. What a great party that will be, when we get to meet so many amazing souls. Thank you for being a blessing to me through your own blog and through your comments here. I’m grateful for you, my friend. ♥️🤗🦋
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Excellent post Bridget. Thankyou for your encouragement to keep an eternal perspective in all we do. And what a wonderful recurring dream to have! Blessings to you.
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I am glad you found some encouragement here. Thank you for stopping by. Blessings to you too! 🦋
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I enjoyed reading this Bridget…love when God gives us a little nugget of blessing (your dream) to click together with His truth!
I truly look forward to the day we all rejoice in Heaven together, no more struggles just pure joy in the presence of our Lord.❤️
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Amen! What joy awaits us! And how amazing to think that Jesus had already prepared a place for us. What a loving Lord we have! 🥰
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For sure!!❤️❤️❤️
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What a great post! It is a comforting thought to think about being reunited with all of those who went before us, and that God has a safe place for all of us. Thank you for sharing!
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I agree – it is comforting to think about. I look forward to the day when we will see all of our loved ones. What a party we will have! 💃
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Yes! 👏 🙌🎉
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I’m so glad God has “left the light” on for us in heaven. One day, those who trust in Christ’s saving power will be ushered in to their very one house within a house in glory. Amen and Amen!
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Yes! I like the way you put that – left the light on for us! God is where the joy is, and we will have the privilege of spending all eternity with Him! 🙌
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I’m always fascinated by the added layer of meaning in the original Greek. And by our dreams!
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So true. To both points… But then there are some dreams that I am glad when they end 😅
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Thanks for sharing your dream. It is fascinating how it lines up with John 14:2. I agree that we have to be intentional about how we live. We should store up treasures in heaven and worry less about building up material things here on Earth. When we view our lives from an eternal perspective, like Jesus, things take on a different look. I always enjoy your posts and thankful we can encourage one another too! Blessings Bridget ❤️
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I agree. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and our eternal home, it alters so many areas of our lives. Thank you, Dawn! I enjoy your posts too! What a gift God has given us here, as we build friendships and encourage one another! Blessings to you as well! 🦋
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Love this, Bridget. I like the KJV too. And I’m so glad Jesus has made a place for me…and you! 💕 And you didn’t sound preachy at all. 😊
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Thank you, Gail! I am glad Jesus had prepared a place for us too. And knowing that helps us to live for the Lord’s glory and honor. Thank you for stopping by! 🤗
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Thank you for stirring up anticipation and excitement for what is to come, Bridget–for turning our eyes upward when the troubling events around us pull our gaze downward. You’ve reminded me of a daydream that formed years ago as our three children left the nest and established lives for themselves in three different states, from Massachusetts to Washington State. I wished that all of us, including their three spouses and the three grandchildren–could live in one house! It would have to be large to accommodate all of us. And then I thought, we’d really need separate apartments so folks could have peace and quiet when necessary, but a large living space and kitchen would allow for lots of family togetherness as well. I couldn’t help but see parallels between your description of the dwelling places inside our Father’s house and that daydream! Of course, heaven will be indescribably better than any mansion we could build here on earth. And as you point out, the most glorious aspect will be the presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with us. We shall see him as he is through eternity! Glory!! Thank you again for the uplift, Bridget!
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Thank you for sharing that! I love your daydream! How wonderful that would be to share a home with the whole family, yet everyone each have their private quarters. It’s hard when we have family in different corners of the map. But one day all of our believing family will be together. And yes, we will be in the magnificent presence of the Lord. What joy awaits! 🙌
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You never sound preachy. You get the balance always just right. Let’s strive for that eternal mindset. 🙏
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Thank you! And yes I agree. When we have an eternal mindset, it sure helps our perspective. Thank you for stopping by! 🤗
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