Zechariah 8:9-17
Psalm 55
Revelations 6:1-17
Matthew 25:31-46
…”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
~ Matthew 25:40
Have you ever wondered if you will go to heaven? Have you wondered what we have to do to be able to enter the Kingdom of God? Do you ever wonder if you’ve been good enough…or done too much bad?
Growing up I believed that if I were a “good person” I would surely go to heaven. Later as an adult, when I started participating in bible studies, taking time to read scripture, I learned differently. I learned that I needed to have a true relationship with Jesus; I needed to accept the love He has for me; to have him in my heart; to proclaim Him as my Lord and Savior. Wanting this relationship more than life itself became my motivation to pursue Him. Little did I know then, that it was He that had been pursuing me all this time. So together, with Christ in my heart, I confidently go forward knowing that heaven is my happily ever after. Sometimes it feels so simple…
But other times, I occasionally find words that make me question my future “ever after”. Matthew 25:31-46 tells us the parable of the separation of the sheep and goats. I struggle with a part of this scripture every time I hear or read it. I wonder if I’ve done enough…will I be a sheep or a goat?
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Similarly, I also struggle internally every time I pass a person on a street corner with a sign asking for help. It seems impossible to give to every single person, every single time. Is this what God expects me to do? How do you choose when to give? I rationalize that I give to Star of Hope or other organizations that are better equipped to help in a more beneficial way. But still, as I drive by, trying not to make eye contact, in my heart, I struggle. But then, with His infinite patience, He reminds me that I can never “do enough”. It is by the grace of God that we are given the gift of eternal life.
All of the selections of scripture for today make reference to what we sometimes refer to as “Judgment Day”. How will I be judged? I prefer to put this at the back of my mind. I don’t want this to be my motivation. I want the love of Christ to be my motivator.
So for me, at this time of anticipation of the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I will continue to pursue ways to glorify our God, to follow His lead, to help those I am called to help, to question and pray for answers when I struggle inside, to read and strive to better understand His Word and try to make it my course to hear Him when He is calling my name.
What I do know without question, is that we have a God who loves us more than we can possibly comprehend, that what he offers us is greater than we can possibly imagine, it is achievable by His grace and love, and it is His greatest desire for us to have eternal life with Him in his Heavenly Kingdom. I believe.
Barbara Novelli