33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ~ Matthew 5:44-45
Randy Alcorn has a thought-provoking quote that goes as follows:
The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.
This life is filled with thorns and thistles overrunning our paths, making the race set before us a difficult one to run. Then there are giants, villains, and monsters chasing, disrupting, distracting, and intimidating us in an effort to stop us from reaching our end goal. Then we have our own flesh we must crucify daily as we carry our cross. Jesus warned us, as recorded by John, that in this life we will have trials and tribulations. Hardships and great difficulty are for the last days, Paul warns us. John said that we are in the last Days. That it started with the coming of Christ. Now, Jesus didn’t stop at His warning, though.
Jesus said don’t fear. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged, for I (Jesus) have overcome the world. We overcome because He first overcame. We overcome through Jesus. Our world is a taste of the good and the bad. The Heaven and the Hell. For us, Christians, believers, followers of Christ, these tribulations are as close as we will ever get to Hell. But for the unbeliever the blessings, joys, and good things of this life are as close to Heaven as they will ever get.
Yes, God pours out blessings on both the righteous and the unrighteous, but those little blessings today cannot compare to the blessings and good things in store for us in eternity. Paul said these minor afflictions are nothing compared to what God has for us in eternity. I wanna put into perspective the kind of Hell Paul endured on this earth, He was stoned and left for dead. Shipwrecked. He received the 39 lashings on his back. Five times. At the hands of his own people. He was disowned by his own people. Chased out of cities and nations. Then he was martyred in Rome. His Hell on this earth was more than just hurt feelings. It was more than just afraid of offending someone or losing his friends or job for spreading the Gospel. Paul put his life on the line,
There’s people right now enjoying the blessings of God on this earth. Enjoying the good things that God has given them, but never knowing the good things that God has for His people in eternity. Good things that we can’t even think or imagine. How sad of a thought it is that they will never know the good things that God has for His people. That this life is as close to Heaven as they will ever experience.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Their Eternity.