The Red Part

Picture a rope. A really long rope. Infinitely long (you know, something that never ends). The rope is white except for a foot or two at the beginning, which is red. So, let’s concentrate on the red part. Just forget the white part even exists. Sounds silly doesn’t it?

Well, here’s where it really gets interesting. The red part represents your life on earth. Good thing to pay attention to. Right? After all, we have to get an education so we can get a good job and buy all the good things this earth has to offer. We’ve got a family to raise, some partying to do, some friends to please, and the list goes on and on. Wow, this can be one busy place! Lets get to it. This red part is really a blast (well it may be a bummer for some people, but I plan to make the best of it and get all I can while I’m here). Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.

Oops, I may have forgotten that pesky white part; you know the part that lasts for -- ah -- eternity? Oh well, I can take care of preparing for that just before I run out of the red part. Now how long did I say the red part was? Oh yea, it’s a foot or two. But that’s not always true. For some, it ends up being just a couple of inches.

Are you getting the picture? We are going to spend eternity some where. It’s pretty much up to us to decide where. God gave us free will because He did not want a bunch of automatons who were forced to love Him (maybe; who could tell?). He wanted people who freely chose to love Him or love something else; like the red part. But since we don’t know how long the red part will be, it seems like a very good idea to start living the red part commensurate with where we want to spend the white part.

If you want to spend the white part separated from God, just tell Him you don’t want to spend it with Him. Then get on with living the red part like the red part is all there is. He is an accommodating God. Even though He created you so He could pour out His love on you, He will let you go; if that’s your choice. He will never choose to let you go, but He will let you have your way.

If, on the other hand, you want to spend the white part with God, there is a very simple answer: Accept that His son died for all your sins, past, present, and future. Accept that you must repent of your sins. That means be sorry for them and (this is a biggie) quit them. To go on intentionally sinning is NOT the definition of repentance. And finally, accept God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to guide your life. In other words, you need to start a lasting relationship with God; now, while there is still time.

None of us has a clue how long the red part will last. God has ordained that the white part will last forever. It’s up to you whether you spend it with or without God.