NOT HAND MADE, TAILOR MADE.

2 Corinthians 5: 1 – 11

1 For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade
2 —and we’ll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies!

Lately I've been reading the Message translation. I find that, every now and then, it shows an insight that word for word translations don't. It somehow makes sense to me.
Paul refers to our bodies as tents to be folded away only to be dressed in our resurrection bodies.
When asked on their birthday how it felt to be a year older? I have heard people say that it beats the alternative.
Let's consider what the alternative to life is. The alternative to life is death. Even though I don't want to die, nor do I have suicidal feelings, being alive means being separated from God (physically), while death is like a homecoming.

5 The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
9 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.

Now, I hate to settle for less. I did that enough times in my life when I was lost in my addictions.
But, now that I have gotten that glimpse of what awaits, I can't help but live to please God.
That means that we don't let a few little problems distract us from our purpose in life. We don't fall by the wayside and lose our faith just because things don't go the way we want them to.
Why?

10 Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.
11 That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care.

So we have to ask ourselves; Are we ready to face the judgment that is to come?
Be vigilant.
Keep working to please God.
Be ready to fold up that tent of yours to exchange it for a new covering that is not handmade.