The worst thing that could ever happen to you

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

What’s the worst thing that could ever happen to you? Having you car stolen? Losing your job? Having a storm flatten your house? No—as difficult as these situations would be to go through, such losses can be replaced.

What’s the worst thing that could ever happen to you? Going through divorce? Burying the person you married? Having your children move so far away that you never get to see them? No—as painful as these changes can be, there are still people all around who can fill your life with love.

What’s the worst thing that could ever happen to you? Being diagnosed with cancer? Going blind? Losing control of your body due to multiple sclerosis or a stroke? Losing your memory to Alzheimer’s disease? No—as terrible as such conditions are, there is always hope for medical breakthroughs to bring relief.

What’s the worst thing that could ever happen to you? It’s living without faith in Jesus. It’s dying without having your sins forgiven. It’s spending eternity in darkness without the faintest glimmer of light, where the only sounds are screams of pain and terror and anguish. It’s an endless existence with no love, no companionship, no joy, and worst of all, no hope that things will ever get better. The worst thing that can happen to you is hell.

This worst of all things can be avoided, but only for a time. You have until the day of your death to tell Jesus that you are sorry for ignoring Him. You have until the hour of your last breath to accept His invitation and let Him fill your heart with His love. But this offer of a new start ends when you die; to avoid hell, you must be one of Jesus’ friends before life flees your body.

How much time do you have to think about it? I don’t know—and neither do you. You might have 40 years or 40 minutes before your time is up. So don’t put Jesus off thinking that you have plenty of time to think about religion—today might be your final opportunity to avoid the worst thing that could ever happen to you.