“Life is Short…Eat Cookies"

            I saw the phrase plastered on a charmingly decorated sign inside a local bakery. The thought is cute, and causes me a chuckle.  It might even make some people think, “You know what? ---Yeah! Life is short.  Why not buy a few pastries? I deserve some release from all my stress.”  And hence, the bakery gains a bit more business.  However, behind the cuteness, and the playfully veiled marketing ploy lurks a pernicious belief-system---about human existence and what happens after death---which seems to say, “there is no real rhyme or reason to life, take all you can get now, because all you've got is this one short life to do it in!”

In actuality, life is not short.  

Whether you “believe” in some sort of continuation after death, or not, the truth is that everyone will exist forever.  The only difference will be in the quality of existence.  You will not “sleep when you are dead.”  If you do not profess Jesus Christ, and live for Him, then the burden of this world’s drama and problems will not cease.  You won’t “finally be done with the problems of life.”  At the point when your heart stops and your body quits working, your spirit will find a place far more advanced in its torments and pains. 

The world did not involuntarily *poof* into existence, and your current sufferings will not *poof* out of existence if you aren’t living for God.  In this world you will have trouble; in the next world you will face two basic life/existence package deals.  The first is the eternal life and worship of the most beautiful being ever: God Himself.  The second is unceasing pain, gnashing of teeth, burning, decay, sorrow, anguish and torture of which we on earth have no real understanding or comprehension, yet.

The good news is that Jesus loves every human very deeply and cares for them a whole lot.  So He gave each one the opportunity to receive the life He has.  He actually took every person’s sin; their condition of being separated from God in a woeful existence (on earth).  He gives it at a price; He gives life to those who give their lives to Him, wholly and completely.  After the initial freedom through surrendering to Jesus, every believer is given hope to continue living in the world, until Jesus returns.  This Hope which anchors their soul, giving them perseverance and strength, is their promised home, New Jerusalem; a city of mind-boggling size and beauty.  It may sound ridiculous to some, but the love and future hope that He pours out to those who willingly surrender far exceeds any “lost benefit” of living independent of Him.

So, if I were to amend the statement, “Life is short…Eat cookies,” I would probably say,

“Life is very long…Choose carefully.”