Meaning that you could only enjoy limited life with the Lord on this Earth. No eternal life, just this one.
For some people, some Christians, it seems Heaven has already started for them here. They walk so close to God everyday. They are in love. And I respect that a lot. I think these people aren't so much focussed on the reward of heaven. They love the Lord so much now, they are just happy to serve Him now in this earthly life. Their reward is now.
I'm thinking that is a healthy approach. Because if our motivation to follow the Commandments and serve the Lord, is an extrinsic reward like Heaven, we are not really motivated by love. We are motivated by what is in it for us.
I think both Jesus and the Apostle Paul would take real exception to the thinking in this OP.
Matthew 6:20 -
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
Philippians 1:21,23 -
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better...
For Christians, the reason that we can have joy in the midst of trials, and peace in the midst of persecution is because of the hope we have in Christ. What is the hope we have in Christ? It's that Christ will return! It's that Christ will redeem and restore the totality of creation!
I think the OP has it backwards, people don't spend enough time thinking about the future. We spend too much time thinking about our temporary and momentary circumstances.
Randy Alcorn has written IMO, the best book on the topic of
HEAVEN. I would highly recommend that everyone click the link and get a copy. Heaven will not be boring, we will not be transformed into robots where we lose our personality.
When we accepted Christ, we were given new hearts with a natural inclination towards Christ. We no longer have a natural inclination towards the flesh, but towards Christ. Sanctification is the daily process by which we become more like Christ. That process will not be completed until Christ returns. For now, while we want to love our neighbors more selflessly, we fail. While we don't want to be envious, or covet, or be jealous of what our neighbors have, we fail. But when Christ returns and we are given redeemed bodies where the husk of flesh that remains is gone - we will finally be able to love as we want to now, but fail.
Other people's joy will only serve to enhance our own. Sin, no longer having a foothold in our lives will allow us to treat others how we want to now, but fail.
Go get Alcorn's book,
Heaven.