There is always debate about heaven and hell, concepts present in many religions. Going to heaven and or going to hell is an important consideration. Like most things in Christianity, the devil finds ways to use the ideas for the devil’s own purposes.
In the case of heaven and hell, the devil works very hard to get Christians focused on where they are going when they die. Satan uses this as a way of distracting us from the important matters of daily living. Jesus said that he came that we might have life and have it abundantly. That wasn’t just about the future, about life in heaven. In heaven we will have life at its fullest. What Jesus invites us to is life in abundance, right now. He is centering on how we live right now.
Each day we have the opportunity to live life to the fullest, to experience an abundance of life, or to live life in a limited way. It’s unfortunate that so many people choose to live a limited life. And that’s what Satan wants, for people, particularly those who are Christians, to live a partial life, a life that’s less than it could be. Jesus calls us to an abundant life.
The more Satan can get us to focus on the past or the future, on heaven and hell, the less we can live life in the present moment. It’s living in the present moment that makes for abundant life.
I believe one reason the church has been in decline is because the devil has gotten so many people to focus only on heaven. The lie (remember the devil is the father of lies) is that the abundance of life comes from the possessions we have, the importance of who we are and what admiration we can get from other people. When we are focused on these things, we can forget about living as servants of each other.
Living in the moment, in the present, is about being aware of what God intends for us and for other people. It’s about living in relationship with God and that requires us to pay attention to what God expects of us today. Living in the moment is about loving others with the same kind of love shown in Jesus. To be willing to serve others and love with the love Jesus shows us is God’s desire and command, even when it costs us.
When we focus on hell, we see people as being bad and deserving of hell. When we do that, we can’t see what their needs are in the present moment, and we can’t love them in the present moment.
May we seek God’s grace and courage to live and love and follow Jesus daily.
Ross T Lucas 