How to Miss Heaven by 18 Inches

How to Miss Heaven by 18 Inches by Rick Warren

“Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God.” 1 Timothy 6:21

There are 18 inches between your head and heart. But, unfortunately, some people will miss heaven by those 18 inches. They know God in their heads but not in their hearts. They intellectually believe the Gospel, but they’ve never let it change their hearts.

I went to school for a long time, a total of 24 years when you include my master’s and doctorate degrees. Honestly, I’ve forgotten much of what I learned during that time. But I’ve never forgotten the most important truth I’ve ever learned: We were made by God and for God. Until we understand that, life will never make sense.

You were not made for your own sake.

The Bible says, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God” (1 Timothy 6:21 TLB). You might know string theory, chaos theory, or quantum physics. But if you don’t know God, you’ve missed the purpose of your life.

At the end of your life, God will give you a final test. Here’s the good news: It’ll be an open-book exam. All the answers are in the Bible. On that test, God won’t ask you if you got straight As. He won’t care about how well you did in your career. He won’t ask to see your bank account balance. Instead, he’ll ask you this: Did you get to know me? Did you build a relationship with my Son whom I sent to Earth to die on the cross for you?

Decide today that you will set your heart and mind on learning more about the most important truth and getting to know Jesus.

Talk About It

• What makes it difficult to move from what we know about God to what we trust about God?
• Why do you think many people put off beginning a relationship with God?
• If God asked you today, “Do you know my Son?” how would you answer?