Heavenly Minded

by Mary Willson Hannah

“It seems odd to say that in order to live a meaningful life on earth, we must be focused on otherworldly things. But that is precisely what the Bible teaches.” It’s easy to become focused on this world and all the struggles and activities that fill our lives. But one of the keys to the Christian life is to have our hearts and minds centered on the right place―heaven. This short book captures how fixing our eyes on heaven will transform our Christian experience here on earth, bringing assurance, hope and purpose.

Genres: Christian, Devotional, Nonfiction, Christian Living

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2023

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple but effective. Like a splash of cold water on a muggy summer day.

[Sophia Lewis]

“Tragically, our longing for heaven can become more about what heaven lacks (that is, suffering) than who it has (that is, God). When we lose sight of who Christ is, heaven becomes to us more about the pain that is absent than the Savior who is present. We distort “heavenly mindedness” into mere escapism. But a Christ-less heaven is no heaven at all. Heavens central feature is God himself. Scripture calls us to anticipate fellowship with our beloved Savior as the all-surpassing joy, better even than being reunited with beloved saints who have died, though joyful that will be!”

[Molly Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely, punchy reminder to fix our eyes on Jesus :))

[Makenna Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but sooo impactful!! Highly recommend!

[Renee Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚫️10/10 recommend reading this little booklet
⚫️a quick, hour-or-less read that packs a discipling punch and provides a needed shift in mental thought using Colossians 3. Lots to chew on and think through after reading these 50 pages.
⚫️how to and why setting your mind on things above is commanded, necessary, and practically helpful

(Received this book as part of TCG women’s ministry cohort, 2024)


➡️Cultivating heavenly mindedness “combats joy-sapping fear. It heals Christ-dishonoring divisions. It undercuts soul-crushing doubts” (15).

➡️“Christ is the starting point, the ending point, and every point in between” for the Christian life (20).

➡️“Believers must choose what to seek and what to contemplate…your mind should belong to the Lord. But rather than imagining that our mind will turn to the Lord on autopilot, we must ///train/// our mind to do so” (21).

➡️“The nearness of the kingdom of heaven” should shape our thinking, and the superiority of heaven’s treasures [should suffuse] our thoughts. (22)

➡️“Seeking the things that are above has to replace setting our hearts and minds on things that are on earth” (23)


—excerpts from ‘Heavenly Minded’ by @mary.willson

[Anna Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would be great for a personal devotion or small group. Concise but so rich!!! Deep but easy to understand! Mary lays out what we as Christians look forward to and how that affects our lives now. 10/10!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great booklet

[Courtney Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small, but thorough, scripture-based, effective, convicting, and encouraging.

“Tragically, our longing for heaven can become more about what heaven lacks (that is, suffering) than who it has (that is, God). When we lose sight of who Christ is, heaven becomes to us more about the pain that is absent than the Savior who is present. We distort “heavenly mindedness” into mere escapism. But a Christ-less heaven is no heaven at all. Heaven’s central feature is God himself.” (p 48)

[Charlotte Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short and encouraging book reminding you to look beyond this world, focusing on heaven and reminding us of why this is important. A fab read.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful short book that blows holes in the old adage that someone too heavenly minded is no earthly use.

[savannah smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

this little book is a beautifully written devotional book on colossians 3:1-4. it was super encouraging!

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful, encouraging and convicting 50-page call to heavenly-mindedness, based on Paul's words in Colossians 3:1-4: "Set your minds on things that are above." Mary Hannah brings out three motivations in these verses - heaven is where we belong, our Saviour is in heaven, and we are going to heaven. There are several challenging passages that reward several readings, particularly in terms of our ambitions and our attitudes towards other Christians. I might have appreciated an extra chapter unpacking more of the "meaningful and productive lives on earth" that flow from heavenly-mindedness. But as a short book, it covers a lot of ground and would be a good book to share with a range of different believers.

[Brianna Smith Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely little book describing the realities of a Christ centered heaven and how that mindset saves us from temptations towards merely earthly satisfaction. Mary Willson Hannah expertly walks through Colossians 3:1-4 in a winsome and compelling way that will be encouragement for the new and seasoned believer alike!

[Diana Scheidler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book doesn’t hold back from the truths of the Gospel. In just 50 short pages, Mary calls us to look beyond our current stage and focus on heaven and what that means. Love this short little book!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! Really easy to read and helpful. I’d read a longer volume as well that has more practical applications as well:) I like how the author kept going back to a fixed passage. Helps you meditate on it!

[Shani Van Patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the midst of life's vying noise, it's easy to lose focus on heaven and home. This book walks us through Colossians 3:1-4, encouraging us to keep our eyes on heaven and not earth since we have been raised with Christ. Simple, short booklet with a much needed reminder.

[Alex Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, convicting, encouraging.

[Ruth Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of golden nuggets to glean from this short book. I would have just appreciated an exploration of the topic of heaven itself and a discussion of what Scripture says about eternity.

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little book with much power to encourage believers.