What does it take to make us stop and think about life and its meaning? Do we really need to experience some sort of life-changing tragedy? It was just about a week ago when another young man reached his tipping point and took out his frustration, anger, and depression on his local community and killed 7 people, severely wounded many more and changed the lives of hundreds forever.

It’s a scene that is increasingly being played out across this country and around the world. Social media and political parties’ selfish desires help spread the word, and with a knee-jerk reaction, frame the reasons to their own gain. The world becomes a pulpit that increases the pain and hurt of those affected; the evil perpetuates.

This time, for me, it was close to home; just 21 miles away. Even closer, as a dear friend and his wife live right at the epicenter of the shooting. Both were separately out of town, or they would have been sitting right where the shooter carried out his evil plan. Imagine coming home to crime scene tape and the FBI at your front door.

Assuredly, there will be more of these events. Have you taken the time to think about where you will go if you were to be killed? What if your time is just around the corner? Have you invested time thinking about what happens next? I mean real time to think this through.

In my earlier years of life, I am guilty of spending more time thinking about what I was going to do that evening than thinking about if God exists and if He had a purpose for me. But as I get older, and I see the world more for what it is, the importance of what happens after I die becomes increasingly more important to me.

It is beyond the scope of this article to frame all the reasons why God exists and the proofs necessary to change a heart and mind towards the free gift given to us by Jesus Christ. But it is within the scope to have you ask the question, “What does happen to me when I die?”

Go ahead and ask yourself this question.

For me, there is too much order, too much intelligence in the design of humanity, and too much recognition of good and evil in this world for God to not exist.

We can all agree the mass shooting in Highland Park, IL was evil, but for some reason, we can’t agree on what evil means. Nor can most people recognize that if evil does exists, then you have stepped outside of a physical, godless world and into a world where God and spirits live.

One thing I know for certain is everyone needs to put more time into thinking about what happens after you die than the time they spend planning their next vacation, for your vacation may last a week, but your eternity lasts forever.

Put what the world has told you about God and Jesus Christ to the side. Find out for yourself. Pick up a literal translation of the Bible, like the English Standard Version, and read the book of John (a link to the Book of John can be found here). Let God tell you Who He is, why He loves you, and why He was willing to die for you so you can spend eternity in heaven with Him.

No one wants to waste their life, but imagine getting to the end of yours and realizing you missed out on a loving Father who reached out to you over and over, and you neglected to hear His call. He calls us through the world around us, His believers, His creation, and most importantly, through His Word (The Bible). Don’t make the biggest mistake you could ever make and miss that call to follow Jesus and spend an eternity with Him.

If you would like someone to pray for you, please leave a comment below – I would be happy to pray for you.