Some notes based on (and quoting from) a sermon by Glenn Pease:-

There once was a woman who always was tired
She lived in a house where no help was hired.
On her death bed she said, dear friends I am goin
Where washing aint done nor cookin nor sewin,
And everything there will be just to my wishes,
For where they don’t eat there’s no washin of dishes.
Don’t mourn for me now, don’t mourn for me ever,
For I’m goin to do nothin, forever and ever.

Understandable indeed, coming from a chronically overworked woman.  But how long would it be before her dream of doing ‘nothin, forever and ever’ would become a nightmare?

‘The story is told of a man who died and found himself in a region of fabulous abundance. His slightest wish was instantly granted. At last, however, the novelty wore off and he became bored. He told his host he would love to do something. Was there any work he could perform, or any problem he could help solve? His host said, “I am sorry, but there is no work to be done here.” “No work!” cried the man in frustration. “Nothing to do!” he shouted. “I would rather be in hell than have nothing to do forever.” His host replied, “Just where do you think you are?”‘

‘The hell of hell will be nothing to do. There will be no labor of love, no purpose to being, no goals to achieve, and no expressions of creativity. Hell will be a state of perpetual unemployment.’

Dorothy Sayers said, “Damnation is without direction or purpose. It has nothing to do and all eternity to do it in.”

Rev 7:15 – ‘…and serve him day and night in his temple.’
Rev 22:3 – ‘…his servants will serve him.’

To be sure, in these texts ‘serving’ equates to ‘worshiping’.  But that’s the point.  Our heavenly occupations will be delightful precisely because they are done for God.

C.H. Spurgeon wrote: “What engagements we may have throughout eternity we are not told, because we have enough to do to fulfill our engagements now; but assuredly we shall be honored with errands of mercy and tasks of love fitted for our heavenly being; and I doubt not it shall be one of our greatest delights while seeing the Lord’s face to serve him with all our perfected powers. He will use us in the grand economy of future manifestations of his divine glory. Possibly we may be to other dispensations what the angels have been to this. Be that as it may, we shall find a part of our bliss and joy in constantly serving him who has raised us from the dead.”

In Rev 22:5 we read that God’s servant will ‘reign’.  This implies authority, delegation, leadership, administration, and decision-making.

God is a worker.  He does not find his work arduous, or routine.  But he works.  He made angels to work with him.  And he made us to work with him.  He possesses endless creative potential, and the redeemed will share in that creativity.  Eternity beckons, with endless creative possibilities.

There will opportunities for diligent study in heaven.  If our knowledge here is severely circumscribed, – if now we see through a glass, darkly, – if there is knowledge that passes our present understanding, – then it will be delightful to learn, and keep on learning, about God’s amazing wisdom.