Your schedule is full, but is your soul empty?
People spend their lives making plans—career, family, financial goals, even retirement. But there’s one reality most ignore: What happens after death?
We assume we’ll have time to figure it out later. But what if later never comes?
The Illusion of Safety
We like to believe life is predictable. That we’ll live to old age, settle down, and pass away peacefully. But reality paints a different picture. Accidents happen. Heart attacks strike. Wars erupt. Millions die unprepared.
Wilhelm Busch tells the story of a young man planning his future. His uncle kept pressing him, “And after that?” At every stage, career, marriage, retirement, the young man had an answer. But when asked, “And after death?” he was silent.
Have you thought beyond your plans?
Jesus said it plainly: “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13). Most people only plan up to the grave, not beyond it, but eternity doesn’t wait for your convenience.
Who Are You Listening To?
When our car breaks down, we don’t ask a baker for advice. When we’re sick, we don’t go to a plumber. Yet, when it comes to the most important question of life, what happens after death, people listen to anyone but Jesus.
Jesus is the only one who has been there and returned. He conquered death. Yet, many would rather trust their own opinions, their friends, or professors who have never been beyond the grave.
The Bible warns: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27). This isn’t a scare tactic. It’s a reality check.
The Warning We Ignore
Imagine walking down a street and seeing a huge sign: DANGER AHEAD. TURN BACK. Would you laugh and keep going? Of course not.
Yet, every day, people ignore God’s warnings. They brush off the urgency of salvation, believing they have more time. They mock the idea of judgment, much like people mocked Noah, until the flood came.
The Escape Plan: Jesus Christ
When Noah built the ark, it wasn’t for decoration. It was the only way to escape the flood. Today, Jesus is the ark, the only way to escape eternal separation from God.
Busch shares his own moment of realization. As a soldier, he saw death up close. A friend was laughing one moment and dead the next. It hit him: If that were me, I’d be standing before God, unprepared.
Most people live with a thin layer of Christianity, baptized, maybe attending church, but underneath, no real relationship with Jesus. God doesn’t want surface-level faith. He wants you to know Him personally.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Not one way among many. The way.
1 Question for You
You plan for everything in life, so why not for eternity?
People assume they’re going to heaven because they’re “good” or religious. But heaven isn’t for those who do their best, it’s for those who have denounced sin, accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and trust in Him.
So the question here is: If you died any moment from now, would you be ready?
Like the stories we’ve read, there might not be any other opportunity to make the decision. Turn to Jesus. Surrender to Him today.