If You Were to Die Tonight...

...Do You Know Where You Would Spend Eternity?

Well-intentioned people have used this question to try to help others. At first glance, it seems like an effective way to help start someone thinking about eternity with the goal of discussing Jesus Christ- a good thing, to be sure.

But I'm not sure that this approach is worthy of Christ.

For those of you who are parents, consider this. Of course, we all want our children to come to us, to be in close relationship with us, to remain close to us. But compare these two situations. First, a child who goes to her father because she hopes to gain something she needs for herself through the relationship. Second, a child who goes to her father simply because he is her father and she loves him and wants to be with him. A loving father deserves to have his children close to him.

Hopefully, the point is clear. To tell someone of Christ and his love, but use the person's fears of the unknown and "eternity" may be manipulative even if not intended to be. And it might lead to seeking the Lord with a self-seeking motivation- to seeking the Lord for the wrong reason. He deserves to be sought and loved and obeyed simply because he is the Lord.

To be sure, with Christ there is sure hope of eternity for all who seek him with all their hearts, but that is a by product of something much deeper and even more important.