Twelve Things I Doubt Pastors Will Hear in Heaven

I’d really hate to waste my life on things that aren’t significant.  Occasionally it is good to step back and wonder about the types of the things you probably will not hear in heaven.  So I imagine a scenario where someone that the Lord has called me to shepherd walks up to me in heaven and says, I sure wish that you’d have…

Here are 12 things I doubt would fill in that blank. 

1. I wish you’d have shown me more rapture charts
2. I wish you’d have told me steps to making more money
3. I wish you’d have prepared me for what heaven looks like
4. I wish you’d have settled those theological debates
5. I wish you’d have done funnier skits in our worship service
6. I wish you’d have pushed for a bigger building
7. I wish you’d have talked more about politics
8. I wish you’d have preached much shorter sermons
9. I wish you’d have worn ties (or cooler jeans for our postmodern crowd)
10. I wish you’d have given us better pop-culture references
11. I wish you’d have made our worship ambiance better and the transitions smoother
12. I wish you’d have spent the money to fix that pot-hole in the church parking lot

I could probably keep going.  Some of these things might be important and they might even be a means to serve and assist people in worship.  But they are not ultimate.  What I don’t want to fill that blank would be, “I wish you’d have pointed us to Jesus more.  I wish you’d have prepared us for heaven better.  I wish you’d have preached more to root out sin and unbelief.  I wish you’d have encouraged us to lay down our idols more.”  Those are the things I don’t want to hear. 

What I do want to hear is the sweet and grace filled words of the Chief Shepherd, “well done good and faithful servant”.