“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NLT)
A question I’ve often asked over the years is: “Why would anyone not want to go to heaven?” Or, another way to ask a similar question: “Why would anyone want to go to hell?” Unfortunately, there are many reasons, a few of which I’d like to address today.
The environment in which a person grows up is a leading reason why many have no understanding of or interest in going to heaven. They have no frame of reference. Some, because of the horrible circumstances of their life as a child, and into adulthood, believe hell is what they’ve been living on this earth, and “anything” must be better when you die. Or worse, they come to believe that’s all they deserve, on earth and hereafter.
On the other hand, some children are so pampered and so generously provided for, they see no need for heaven, and have no concept of hell. Everything their heart desires is given to them, so it’s difficult for them to believe anyone, even God, can offer anything better.
Regardless of our upbringing, if the spiritual dimension of our lives is unknown or ignored when we’re young, it becomes increasingly more difficult to formulate correct and healthy views of God, Satan, heaven, and hell as an adult. So many miss the gateway to life because they don’t even know it exists and/or don’t care.
Those of us who know Jesus and have learned to build our lives around Him, tend to think the truths of the Bible are intuitive, that everyone should know right from wrong, and understand their need of God. We are prone to think: “If I know these things, everyone should know them,” but it doesn’t work that way.
One huge issue for many is the fact they don’t believe they deserve to be in heaven. While that can be a very healthy first step, because the reality is, NO ONE does deserve heaven, it isn’t always the case.
The dad of one of my friends in high school was an alcoholic. He walked by one day while I was shooting hoops on my driveway. He had obviously been drinking and was crying, so I asked him what was wrong. He began to pour out his heart about his guilt and shame regarding the lives he had taken during WWII. He couldn’t forgive himself, so he found it difficult to believe God would forgive him and allow him to go to heaven.
Our emotions can lie to us and cause us to believe things that aren’t true. Guilt and shame are powerful tools in Satan’s hands and God alone can heal and help us to deal with them. There are things in my life that I deeply regret and for which I carried guilt and shame for many years, but gratefully, God’s Spirit has healed and used those things to draw me ever closer to Himself.
What about you? Where are you as you ponder the mysteries of life and death and where they lead? Regardless of your past, God loves you and desires to have a relationship with you. Satan’s goal is to keep you distracted by the frivolities of this earthly life or regrets from your past, preventing you from coming to terms with your need of God. I once feared death, knowing that I didn’t deserve to be in heaven, yet dreading the possibility of hell. Today, I invite death, because I know that the One who knows me best and loves me most will be waiting with outstretched arms to welcome me home to Him. God loves each of us the same and desires to welcome you home as well.
Heaven and hell are eternal realities. Satan is a liar and a deceiver, and his goal is to keep you blinded to all God has done in and through Jesus to make a way for you to be forgiven and restored to your rightful place as His child. If you haven’t yet yielded your life and allegiance to Jesus, please click on the link below and learn how to make Jesus the Lord of your life before it’s eternally too late. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 