Why I Should Care

Allow me to take a Scrooge perspective for a moment - "If all that is certain in life is death and taxes, then let me pay my dues and die. Why should I give a flip?"

This kind of view is very limited, not to mention pessimistic, and only takes in the present, embracing the negative, not giving hope a chance, while accepting oblivion as the end escape. Not even the devil subscribes to nothing after death - hence the lie of it from The Father of Lies.

What your view is of the afterlife will extremely influence your present lifestyle or should. We are all waiting to die but should be living in the meantime. We do not get the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years known as time - back. Therefore, we must capitalize on every opportunity that presents itself.

As we live, there is no ignoring all the challenges life throws our way. But as we live, taking advantage of our opportunities, Christ promises the Holy Spirit will lead believers throughout their lives in all truth. His Word or instructions is good for our present situations and vision for the future.

I strongly believe that vision for the future must include the believer's active view of a physical, mental and spiritual relationship with their Savior - Christ Jesus - in Heaven, soon.

Since all of the prophecies concerning the first visitation of Christ were fulfilled, I have no hesitation in accepting He will return just as He promised.

In John 14:2-3, Jesus said, 

"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

And in Matthew 24:39-41 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Jesus and Paul respectfully describe how Jesus will return.

The structure of vision into future plans is to have some sort of goal/reward system in place. If you play the part of Scrooge or worse in life and do not establish this system, then there is no appreciation or possible acceptance of an afterlife, even one with Christ.

However, if you engage the aspects of faith, hope and love within a Christian lifestyle, you are on your way to valuing that which Christ values - relationships.

When Christians begin to implement this mindset as a permanent fixture in their lives, then their priorities will change to that of more relationship-based goals and their rewards will change along with it to that of the same.

Jesus has promised five crowns that are possible for being rewarded to the believer after Christ returns for His bride, the church. The crowns are - the Imperishable Crown (1 Cor. 9:24-25), Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thess. 2:19), Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4) and Crown of Life (Rev. 2:10). All of these will be distributed appropriately and all are based on relationship.

Why should I care? Contrary to the Scrooges of life and the lie that - all there is to life is death and taxes - there is more to this life than living and dying, than just trying to make it through the day. Jesus came and through faith in Him, hope in Him and love by Him our lives not only matter now but for eternity with relationships being our proof. This is Why I Should Care.