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Matthew 25:46:  “Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life.” 

Rewind with me for a moment to those schoolyard recess days when you raced to be first on the teeter totter only to later experience being slammed to the ground when the other kid jumped off. Ouch! Talk about getting your attention on your backside and checking the stability of your dental fillings . . . it was jarring to say the least. 

Too bad we don’t experience the spiritual version of this very often. When was the last time you found yourself unbalanced, jarred, and uneasy for someone else’s station in life . . . specifically their unbelief? Did it take you back? Does it prompt a response worthy of your immediate attention? Difficult conversations matter . . . eternally! 

C.S. Lewis states in Mere Christianity,  “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the next world that they have become so ineffective in this one.” That’s a label no one wants to be assigned: “ineffective.” Jesus practiced the sacred discipline of seeing people. How’s your “sight” these days? When we relate to unbelievers, do we adopt the wisdom of Barry Corey (Good Faith) in revealing “soft edges and firm centers?” 

Remember the woman at the well? Softness allows closeness, humility, and connection. Firmness denotes truth, experience, and facilitation of a desired outcome. When aided by the Holy Spirit, our lives seek to understand “other” viewpoints and to breathe the life of Jesus across divides and differences. Its purpose is to reveal the reality of an eternal heaven and hell and the impact of our choices. Don’t be tempted to look away or to avoid the difficult conversations, extreme lifestyles, or past experiences. If we lose evangelism, we might just need to call it a hospitality committee. 

We have all been in our own share of ditches, but we don’t have to stay on a path that detours heaven if we choose to travel in His footsteps. Truly, Jesus is an earthly heart transformer and eternal destination changer. That shouldn’t be a secret we keep private but a solution we are eager to share publicly.

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