IN LIGHT OF OUR FUTURE ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD, ARE OUR PRESENT WORRIES JUSTIFIED?
As humans, we are prone to worry. Our journey through life is strewn with happenings that we cannot control. Illnesses strike us, often without warning. Economic problems sometimes seem to destroy our plans for a better life. A loved one dies. Our world just doesn’t seem to be progressing in the right direction. So we worry, even though the Bible warns that worry is a sin.
Here are some thoughts that may be helpful to avoid worry, they are just random ideas: Believe in miracles -- No one is in charge of your happiness but you – Reflect, in five years will this really matter, how about next month? -- Time heals most everything, Give time enough time -- We get only one trip through life, what matters most is how we loved -- If everyone threw their problems into one pile and we saw them, we’d grab ours back. -- Growing old beats the alternative, dying young. -- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or did not do.
Even though those whom have pledged their lives to Christ know beyond any doubt that they will spend eternity with God in Heaven, we might worry about this. Is there such a thing as knowing beyond doubt? Even after the many times I have read the Bible, I am not at peace with this 100% of the time. My talks with God give me assurance, but then something in the present life interrupts these thoughts. I cannot seem to avoid concern over the present, not for myself, but for my wife and others. Health problems continually cause her misery and are unsettling even though she believes in her future eternal life with God.
The only relief is prayer for help from God. We know He has our best interests in mind. Meditation on what we know God has in store will give us peace. Of course we should assure ourselves of Christ’s coming. There will be two stages of His Second Coming. The Bible passages relating to this are -- First; a place for His faithful was prepared after He returned to Heaven from his life on earth. He gave assurance of His return in John 14:1-3:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Further assurance of His return is given in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” This is also known as the Rapture of the Church when Christ calls all believers to meet Him in the clouds just before taking them to Heaven as He promised. We of course want to join Him in the clouds and be taken from the earth before the Great Tribulation.
For those left behind, the other part of Christ’s Second Coming, known as the Glorious Appearing will be most important. It applies to all those left behind from the Rapture who did not make a pledge to Satan [or take his number 666] during the Great Tribulation.
In Matthew 24:30-31 - “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn [because most people did not believe that Christ is the Messiah in order to join His elect]. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Revelation 19:11-21 [in part - This tells about Christ descending and then defeating the armies that Satan as the anti-Christ had amassed to conquer Israel.] “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges … his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
“Then I saw the beast [Satan] and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the white horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf [during Tribulation]. With these signs he had deluded those who had taken the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword.”
So those who believe that Jesus will take His faithful to Heaven in the Rapture really have no reason to worry. But I would worry if I did not believe that I am ready for Him. To be ready, we must say the Sinner’s Prayer, confess that we along with everyone in the world are a sinner, ask for forgiveness and pledge our lives to the Lord. Then we must live as we believe the Lord wants us to live, loving Him above everything and everyone, and loving others as we love ourselves. This advice is found in the Bible and the wonderful book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas.
Sinner’s prayer: Simply say this prayer aloud, sincerely from your heart: “Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died for me. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior and forgive me of all my sins and take control of every area of my life from this moment on. Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I want to serve You and love You all the days of my life. Thank You Father, that I am now Your child, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.”
After this prayer, read the Bible, pray often and go to church to hear God’s words and fellowship with God’s people. Your life will never be the same; you’ll have peace while on this earth and live forever with Jesus in Heaven. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5, God bless you.