Why is thinking about eternity important?

Matthew 10:28“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 13:40-43“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”

John 3:14-18“As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For God this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”

Thinking about eternity is vital for every person because life on earth is short, but life after death lasts forever. This is a life-and-death issue and choice. Those who believe in Christ and trust him as Savior will live forever in heaven with him. Those who reject him and the salvation he offers will fall under God’s wrath and experience eternal punishment for their sins in hell.

Matthew 6:19-21“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Thinking about eternity is important because it helps us put our life on earth into proper perspective. Gathering earthly wealth can distract both our hearts and our hands from God’s work—in the end, wealth is temporary. While on earth, we should invest our time, money, and other resources in serving others. Our relationships with God and others have the greatest eternal value.