A goal we all share is eternal happiness. According to Jesus and the Bible, we can find that happiness in Heaven. The real question is: what must we do to get there?
The first thing we need is faith. How much faith? Jesus told His disciples, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” We don’t need perfect understanding, but we do need enough trust in Jesus to follow Him. No one follows a leader down a rough road without trusting that leader. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Because of original sin, we can only reach eternal life through Jesus, our Savior.
Faith alone isn’t enough; at some point, we must act. The second thing we need for eternal life is to take action. Jesus told His disciples, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” The rough road to Heaven requires good works to successfully navigate. These good works don’t put God in our debt, because salvation comes through Jesus’s mercy and sacrifice. But our good works bring us closer to Him and to Heaven.
If we claim to believe in Jesus but our actions tell a different story, we need to ask ourselves how deep our faith really goes. If we say we follow His teachings, but live for our own pleasures, are we truly walking with Him, or are we choosing another path? God judges each person based on the opportunities and talents they received and how they used their time, gifts, and resources. A baby or someone who never heard of Jesus will be judged differently than someone who had every chance to know Him.
God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to save us. Jesus’s sacrifice opens the way to Heaven, but we can’t drift through life doing nothing. Our goal must be to grow closer to God, and that takes effort and sacrifice. Place your faith in Him, keep walking toward Him, and you will reach your ultimate goal.
