If Jesus came to you and gave you the choice to go to heaven with Him or stay here with your family and friends, which would you choose? Personally, I don’t think that is how it works, but if you’ve ever lost loved ones you might have wondered why they left you. As if they had a choice.
I guess we won’t know how it works until our time comes. Certainly there are stories about people who have gone to heaven and returned. But if we met Jesus and saw heaven, it seems to me that we would also suddenly experience life’s fullness from God’s perspective, and the choice (if we have one) would be a no-brainer.
I have always believed that our highest priority in this life is our personal relationship with God. And that heaven is our ultimate home - a place that has been specially prepared for us. How could we turn down His invitation? It is my hope that, unless God has a reason for us to stay, that we would place Him above everyone else and choose heaven.
… Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. (Matthew 25:34)