Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All!

By Edd Sterchi

    Thirty years ago, on a Sunday morning, I was in a 15 passenger van with a deacon of the local congregation picking up kids to bring them to Bible study.  I remember it as if it were yesterday. The van was packed to the gills with children, and my job was crowd control. It must have been a full moon the night before and the kids must have had extra sugar in their cereal that morning, for they were rowdy and getting out of hand. As a fairly young and somewhat inexperienced Christian, I was doing the best I could, but was losing the battle. Luther, who was driving the van and was a songleader as well as a deacon, turned to his vast repertoire of songs and said to me with a big smile on his face, “Remember Edd, heaven will surely be worth it all.”
    I have taken the lesson learned that day with me all of my Christian life. There have been many times when things weren’t going my way and I would harken back to that day and those words: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
    When you have to deal with that difficult person again, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When you have that task to do that brings dread, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When that temptation comes that is difficult to deal with, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When hard times hit and hope seems far away, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When you want to give up, give in, or give out, don’t! Just remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
    Read 1 Pet. 1:3-9 very carefully. Soak it in. Let it give you the strength to keep you going no matter what happens. Trials? Tribulations? Turmoil? Hang in there, Christian – and even smile! You can make it through it, and: Heaven will surely be worth it all!
    “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Pet. 2:13-14)

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/