Death Is Not The End

It’s a reality that is sadly true in the teen’s world. A reality where we go off and do what we want for ourselves. Things like going out, partying, ‘having fun’ but with no purpose, only a purpose for seeking fulfilment in the bottomless pit of emptiness in our hearts. Fulfilment and true satisfaction can only be found in Christ. Nothing else. 

Many of us go out with friends every so often; I do so too (not very often), and there is nothing wrong with going out and having fun. Sometimes it is even good to go out and have a timeout from work and study. But the thing is, what I see from many people at school, and people around me is that they revolve their life around fun and excitement, with the lack of understanding of eternity. We have to open our eyes to see beyond the short life on earth that we have. Not only seeing the goodness of this world but the perfect heaven that God has graciously given everyone the opportunity to be in for the rest of eternity. 

There is this quote from Jonathan Edwards, “Lord, Stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” Edwards prayed so that his eyes may be set on eternity, that the end goal of his life would be for eternity, not the scope of this world, the world that will die as time goes on, the world that has no eternal value. Many teens, not only teens but many people, are blind to eternity. They have their eyes set on a good life, full of fun and excitement. As Christians, let us not be blinded by the “earthly goodness” that this world offers but see beyond the scope of the earth and ask God to stamp our eyeballs with eternity. 

A little about me, I go to church for basically the whole weekend. I get there on Saturday as the sun is still rising and leave when it’s dark. Same for the next day. Many people see that my life is boring, and my friends at school also see my life as such a boring life. They question why I do this and why I spend my whole weekend at church. Well, firstly, I’m not one bit regretting what I am doing. I have been given a great opportunity to serve God and do ministry in the church. Even though I am missing out on hangouts and sleepovers that my friend group often has, the thing is, they are missing out on the opportunity to use their time to take part in ministry for His glory. I want us teens to realise that our lives are short and the time that we have is limited, don’t waste your life on earthly values. 

We are called in the Bible as Christians to work for the Lord. In 1 Cor 15:58, Paul writes, “therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” The labour for the Lord is not in vain; the time that we use for the Lord is never in vain. This encourages me as it should for you as well.

Many people work so hard for money and wealth; they work seven days a week and full days to earn more money each day. Yes, they do get rich, and they can spend their money on ‘nice’ and temporary things, but our lives are not for money. And what happens to all the money and wealth when you die? It doesn’t have any eternal value. It’s all vanity. Yes, as Christians, we can’t go slacking off hoping that we earn a lot of money, we still have to work hard, but the purpose of our life, the chief end of man, is to glorify and enjoy God forever. Forever, for the rest of eternity, getting to know him in all His glory and the new earth’s perfectness. 

I see many people in my grade and my school (even though I go to a Christian school), who are trying to be satisfied with worldly things, things like pornography, drugs, vaping and even sex. They want something to satisfy their hearts. Only a genuine and intimate relationship with Christ can truly satisfy the soul. “He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9). 

So all in all, from reading this article I want you to take home these points. Set your eyes to eternity, not to this world. If your eyes are set to eternity, you will realise that the time on earth is limited; you will realise that eternity in heaven is way better than what this world can offer. Live not for man but God and His glory. There is no eternal value in gaining money and fame, but what will not be in vain is the work for the Lord, the work that glorifies Him and brings people to Christ. Remember that only God can truly satisfy. You cannot seek satisfaction in any worldly things, only in the creator. Remember a quote from Blaise Pascal, “here is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Yes, the earth is wonderful, and the things that it can offer can make us feel really good, but the bottomless pit cannot be truly filled. Life is temporary. Let the life that we live once be a life that glorifies him forevermore.

Jeremy