Intentional FaithTrading Mud Pies for Glory
On Second Thought
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” — 1 Peter 1:3–4
There is something in the human heart that settles too quickly. We reach a point of comfort, a level of satisfaction, and we quietly decide, “This is enough.” Yet Scripture consistently pushes against that instinct, reminding us that what God has prepared for His children far exceeds what we typically desire. Peter’s words open a window into a reality that is both present and future—a “living hope” rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Greek phrase zōsan elpida suggests a hope that is active, breathing, and sustaining. It is not wishful thinking; it is a present certainty anchored in a risen Savior.
When I consider this, I realize how easily I become content with what is immediate and visible. I focus on what I can gain, manage, or control in this life, often neglecting the inheritance that is already secured for me in Christ. Colossians 1:12–17 reminds us that we have been qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. That word “qualified” carries the sense of being made sufficient, not by our effort but by God’s grace. Through Christ, we are transferred from the domain of darkness into His kingdom. This is not a distant promise—it is a present reality that shapes how we live now.
C. S. Lewis captured this tension with striking clarity when he wrote that we are “far too easily pleased.” His illustration of a child making mud pies in a slum, unaware of the offer of a holiday at the sea, reveals something uncomfortable about our spiritual condition. We often cling to lesser things because we cannot fully imagine the greater. Jesus addressed this directly in Matthew 6:19–20: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” The issue is not whether we will pursue treasure, but where we will seek it. Earthly treasures are temporary, subject to decay and loss. Heavenly treasures, by contrast, are aphthartos—incorruptible, untouched by time or circumstance.
Yet this is not merely about what awaits us in heaven. Scripture makes it clear that the riches of Christ begin now. Paul speaks of “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7), a present abundance that flows into our daily lives. Salvation is not just an entry point; it is the beginning of a life marked by grace, righteousness, and transformation. We are not waiting to experience God’s goodness—we are invited to live in it today. The question becomes whether we are aware of it, whether we are drawing from it, and whether we are allowing it to shape our priorities.
There is also a responsibility woven into this promise. Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25 reminds us that what we do with what we have matters. Faithfulness in the present is connected to reward in the future. This is not about earning salvation, but about stewarding what God has entrusted to us. Every opportunity, every skill, every moment becomes a chance to invest in eternity. As John Piper has often said, “You don’t have to choose between joy now and joy later—your joy now is in investing for joy later.” That perspective reframes how we approach our lives. It calls us to see beyond the immediate and to live with eternity in view.
When I step back and consider all of this, I am confronted with a simple but searching truth: I often live as though this world is my final destination, rather than a passageway to something far greater. My decisions, my priorities, and even my desires can reflect a mindset that is more earthly than eternal. Yet the resurrection of Christ declares that this is not the end of the story. There is more—far more—than what I can see.
The inheritance described in 1 Peter is “reserved” for us, a term that implies it is being kept secure, guarded by God Himself. It will not fade, diminish, or lose its value. In a world where everything seems to wear out or pass away, that promise stands as a steady anchor. It calls me to lift my eyes, to reorient my heart, and to live in light of what is eternal.
On Second Thought, it is possible that the greatest barrier to experiencing the fullness of God’s promises is not a lack of faith, but a lack of desire. We often assume that spiritual growth requires us to want less—to detach, to restrain, to minimize. Yet Scripture suggests something different. The problem is not that we want too much, but that we want too little. We settle for what is immediate because we struggle to grasp what is eternal. Like Lewis’s illustration, we continue making mud pies, not because they satisfy, but because we have never truly envisioned the sea.
This creates a paradox that challenges the way we think about discipleship. We are called to deny ourselves, yet we are also invited into a joy that is greater than anything we relinquish. Jesus says, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). The loss is real, but so is the gain—and the gain far outweighs the cost. The tension lies in trusting that what we cannot yet see is more valuable than what we can hold in our hands.
So perhaps the question is not whether we believe in heaven, but whether heaven has begun to shape what we desire. Do we long for the things that last, or are we content with what fades? Do we see our lives as opportunities to accumulate temporary comfort, or as moments to invest in eternal glory? When we begin to grasp the inheritance that is ours in Christ, something shifts. Our priorities change. Our choices become more intentional. Our faith becomes more active.
And in that shift, we begin to trade mud pies for something infinitely greater—not because we are forced to, but because we finally see what has been offered to us all along.
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Alive in Christ
Bishop Shammah Womack El