Have you ever wondered how our human relationships would change in heaven? If you’re a Catholic or a Christian who believes in the afterlife, you must have wondered about your reunion with your loved ones in heaven. Like me, you may have also asked these questions:
What would they look like?
Would they recognize me?
How would we love each other in heaven?
I once heard a priest urging his listeners to make the most of the time we have here on earth. He said something that seemed to indicate we will never be the same in the life to come.
While that message assured me of meeting my loved ones again, it also worried me a little. How would we be changed in the next life? And how would our relationships be affected by that change?
Here are some of the things I found out that we could expect in heaven:
1. We will love others better in heaven
Here on earth, our love is not yet pure. Although we may love someone dearly, we also have that tendency to think of ourselves first and to hurt even the ones we love the most.
In heaven, our love will be purified. Because of that, we will love each other more. We will not hurt our loved ones anymore with a careless word or action. We will all be thinking of each other’s good.
2. Our love will be strengthened by God’s love for us
Life here below is filled with many uncertainties and insecurities. Quite often, these things affect our relationships with each other.
There may be times when we demand so much from our loved ones. There may also be times when we become possessive or jealous of their love and attention.
In heaven, we will first be filled with the very love of God. No longer shall we seek everything from each other. Our first love will be of God and it is His love that shall overflow in our lives.
3. We will still recognize each other
Let us not fear that we will suddenly forget each other once we arrive in heaven. Our Catholic beliefs assure us that we will still recognize each other, including our loved ones.
In Luke 16, Jesus told His disciples the parable about Lazarus and the rich man. In the said story, both men still recognized the people they knew on earth. In fact, the rich man even wanted to warn his brothers about their fate if they did not change their lives.
4. There will be no marriage in heaven
One big change in our human relationships in the next life is that there will be no more marriage. Jesus made this clear when the Sadducees asked Him a theoretical question about someone who could have had more than one husband on earth after being widowed.
“You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.” – Matthew 22:29-30 (NABRE)
Our Relationships In Heaven
The relationship we have today will change along with the changes that will happen to us in the next life. One such change is that we will no longer marry in heaven. However, we will still recognize each other, especially our loved ones.
When we reach heaven, our love will also be purified by God’s love. We will be filled with so much love that we will love one another more.
May we look forward to that day when we can reunite with our departed loved ones. But let us make the most of our time here on earth, loving each other and savoring the moment that shall never pass by again.
You may also want to read “3 Reasons Why Our Relationships Don’t End in Death”
You may want to get my e-book “What Should You Look Forward To In Heaven?”