What’s your hope for the next life?
Better?
Worse?
The same?
Or that there won’t be a next life?
There’s really no other choices . Logically, it must be one of these.
So pick one!
Hoping there won’t be a next life
Strictly speaking, not having a next life may be redundant – at least for some people. Those that have thought of nothing after this life may have already decided whether that’s better, worse, or no different than the life they now have.
So let’s start with that one.
It’s kind of depressing. No – it’s just plain depressing. The thought of this being “it” – with nothing to follow – makes life seem pointless. Suggestion: having been there myself, thinking this life is pointless – either try to find a way to make this life meaningful – or try to find a way to make the next one better. (More on that thought later.)
At the risk of sounding too “Pollyanna” – even doing something to try to make the next life be better will make this one seem better. And even if there’s no life after this, at least this one will have been a better experience. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is someone you probably shouldn’t be listening to. After all – who really wants to be miserable – and when you find someone like that, are they really someone you want to emulate?
Hoping the next life will be the same
I once had someone ask me – who needs Heaven when we have a perfectly good earth? It was someone who believed that the next life would be here on earth – and life was just fine the way it was.
But really – is that true?
Look around. There’s all sorts of violence – muggings, gangs, murders, wars. There’s sickness – and the diseases are getting worse and resistant to the drugs we have. There’s global warming – or for those of us that remember the global cooling of a few decades ago – there’s just plain hysteria over things we don’t understand. As time goes on – we seem to be getting more vulnerable to either the planet destroying us – or us destroying the planet.
Is coming back to this life really a good thing to hope for?
Hoping the next life will be worse
Sorry – this one ranks right down there with hoping there won’t be a next life.
Again – if you find someone that hopes their next life will be worse – either help them or run from them. That’s about as depressing at you can get.
Hoping the next life will be better
This is really the only “hope” that has any “hope”. Pun intended.
If you’re not in this group – why not?
Seriously – why not?
It’s later – More on that
I promised to return to this thought –
Suggestion: having been there myself, thinking this life is pointless – either try to find a way to make this life meaningful – or try to find a way to make the next one better.
There really in only one “thing” that promises a better life in the next one – and that’s Christianity. (I know – some don’t believe the promise – but bear with me, please.)
No other religion goes so far as to make the promise. Everything else, at best, leaves the question of whether or not the next life is better as exactly that – a question. One that will be answered when we get there. If we get there. Usually, it’s a balance of what we’ve done – the good things versus the bad things. We think of the “really” bad things – like murder. But what of the “little” bad things – like thinking about killing someone. For example – the person who cut you off on the road? or the one who “stole” your parking space at the mall? It’s a crap shoot – who really knows how we’ll come out?
The thing with Christianity – people seem to think we Christians are supposed to be perfect – that we don’t do anything wrong – and when we do something wrong it “proves” we’re no different than anyone else and the religion isn’t “true” or “real”.
But that thought isn’t true. It’s wrong.
Christians aren’t perfect (although we’re supposed to try) – but we are forgiven (if we really try to follow the teachings of Jesus). So while we definitely aren’t perfect – and on balance, over the course of our lives may even be more bad than good – we are forgiven – and are promised the better life in Heaven after this one.
The “problem” here – a simple word – faith.
Without faith, you won’t believe this.
But with faith –
Lk 18:35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
Lk 18:38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Lk 18:39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Lk 18:40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
Lk 18:42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
What we see is that the beggar had enough faith – based only on what he had heard (obviously, since he was blind) – that Jesus could heal him. He was healed. He had a better “current” life. And that led to his faith growing – praising God – and a better next life.
These days – we don’t have Jesus to heal us. But faith is still the key. It takes faith to get started.
I was just talking the other day about this being kind of circular. Once we start to believe in God and try to follow Jesus – we learn more – our faith gets stronger – and knowing that the next life will be in Heaven makes this life “better”. Not necessarily better in terms of us being rich, famous, beautiful or handsome, and trouble free. But better in terms of this –
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
But if we never have any faith at all – never jump onto the circle – nothing’s going to happen at all. The beggar had to ask to be healed. So do we. With even the tiniest bit of faith – that faith can grow. With no faith at all – it’s obviously not going to grow.
It’s something hard to explain. It seems impossible. And yet it’s true. Even if things don’t change – there really is a peace that comes with knowing and believing in Him.
What are you hoping for?
At the beginning I asked you to make a choice.
What’s your hope for the next life?
Better?
Worse?
The same?
Or that there won’t be a next life?
There’s really no other choices . Logically, it must be one of these.
So pick one!
If you didn’t pick better at that time – how about now?
If you need it, here’s one more promise –
Rev 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Hope to see you there.