Will Heaven be Boring?

Do you remember your first real job?

For me, it was right out of college. My fiancée helped me pick out some dress shirts, slacks, and a few ties. I bought my first briefcase. I agonized over selecting the right one, even though my dad had warned me that it would simply become an expensive lunch box. I bought one anyway and eagerly welcomed the start of my new life.

I had accepted a job at a publishing services company that rented space from Tyndale House Publishers. On my first day I arrived at the office early—with my lunch in my briefcase—and collected my first assignments. Although the initial few days were exciting, the days began to drag on. Because I had been hired right out of college, I was not used to sitting at a desk from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I loved the job, but I quickly learned that nine hours a day is a character-building commitment.

One of my biggest growing-up moments during that first month of employment occurred on the sidewalk, right outside Tyndale’s building. The structure itself is impressive with a tall entryway and beautiful glass doors. In the morning light, the doors serve as a full-length mirror that captures your attention as you walk up the sidewalk.

It was on an early morning in May that a glimpse of my own reflection stopped me. There I was in my shirt, tie, and shiny, professional shoes. In my hand was a black, leather briefcase. And as I looked at my reflection, an overwhelming thought crushed me: I’m going to be doing this the rest of my life.

No, I wouldn’t be working in that building or at that company the rest of my life, but I would be working. The fun life of being a kid and college student was over. The new life of slogging through the workday was all mine. The professional life that I had looked forward to for years was not as exciting as what I had expected.

Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. I enjoy working on Christian books, teaching the Bible, and serving the church. But it is effort. And, as the case may be for most people, some days it’s just tough getting out of bed.

The memory of that morning in 1994 came back to mind recently as I was reading about what life will be like with God in heaven. Psalm16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (ESV)

Did you catch that? Life with God—life in heaven—is not boring, mundane, or exhausting. When we find ourselves in the physical presence of God, we’ll discover it is filled with joy, wonder, and “pleasures forevermore.”

Sometimes we worry about what we could possibly do to keep ourselves entertained in heaven. After all, eternity is a long time. And while we don’t know exactly what we’ll be doing all day, day after day, we have a promise that we can look forward to: heaven will be an exciting place that we’ll never grow tired of.

I discuss these themes more in Heaven & Hell: Are They Real?. This book was created to answer the 60 most asked questions people have about Heaven and Hell.