We would deem a question difficult when the answer is not straightforward or requires courage to admit. Thus, we often do not like being posed with such difficult questions.

An RE teacher once asked me a difficult question. The question was so poignant that it remains etched in my mind to this day.

”If you were to die tonight, how confident are you that you will be able to go to heaven? If you are certain, raise your hand.”

For members of the True Jesus Church who have partaken of the sacraments received His Holy Spirit and not committed mortal sin, in theory, we have a part in God’s heavenly kingdom.

Yet very few will raise their hand confidently in response to this difficult question. Just as I did, most will sit uncomfortably with their answer.

This question is a helpful barometer of our spiritual life, despite how uncomfortable it makes us feel, as it reminds us of two things:

The brevity of life

We rarely consider today as our last day alive. Instead, we often look forward to our tomorrows and the plans we have in store. We forget that underlying each plan is the assumption that we are still alive.

The Bible describes life as fleeting. It appears for a short moment yet before we know it, it disappears (Jas 4:14, Psa 144:4). In fact, the only certainty we have in this life is that all who live will one day pass away (Ecc 3:20).

This is an uncomfortable truth that is easy to observe. Anyone who works in a hospital or funeral home can attest to this. The coffin is made for the dead, not for the old.

For most, we naturally avoid thinking about the end of our lives. However, it is to our benefit that we are reminded of life’s brevity (Ecc 7:2) as our hearts will be moved to reflect on our priorities in this short life.

The significance of our spiritual pursuits

Having said that, how will we spend our limited time on this earth?

Many of us spend countless hours carefully ensuring that we can have a comfortable life while on earth. Calculating each step shrewdly, hoping that our steps may lead to a better, more comfortable life ahead.

But perhaps we have fallen into the same trap as the foolish rich man in Luke 12. By chance, the rich man’s ground abundantly yielded fruit. Thus, wanting to give himself a comfortable life, he planned to diligently build up storages for his crops (Luke 12:18-19).

From the human perspective, he would be seen as a wise strategic planner. He ensured that the crops he had grown would not go to waste.

But in God’s eyes, he was a fool (Luke 12:20).

Why so? Because he saw his life to be in the abundance of things he possessed (Luke 12:15). Whereas in reality, our earthly riches is vanity for no one can take their earthly riches with them when they pass away (Psa 49:17, Job 1:21).

On the other hand, our heavenly pursuits are far from vanity for they cannot be stolen or destroyed by time (Matt 6:21). These heavenly pursuits come in the form of spending time in prayer, deepening our understanding of God through His word, caring for the members in our local church, having edifying fellowship with our brethren in Christ, etc.

Conclusion

Therefore let us not neglect our spiritual endeavours. Instead, let us spend our limited days striving to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), often reflecting on the areas where we are still imperfect before God.