There's No Peach Pass to Heaven

There's this thing in Georgia called a Peach Pass. It lets you ride in a special lane, just for people who have this pass, and if there is a lot of traffic on the interstate, it can help you get where you're going a lot faster. To get it, you either pay for it or you register that you're carpooling with other drivers. But the point is, it makes your trip a lot easier.

I think a lot of people have the impression that Christianity is a lot like a Peach Pass. You put your faith in Jesus and everything gets easier. The troubles you dealt with before just go away, and your life becomes a walk in the park.

As if you got a Peach Pass through life on your way to Heaven.

But if you've been a Christian for a while, or if you know Christians, then you know that a Christian's life is not a picnic. Sometimes, it even seems to be harder, because on top of weathering life's storms, a Christian has to be faithful to God and obey His commands.

This is really confusing to some people. After all, if a Christian's life is supposed to be better, and then it isn't, people wonder if it's some kind of scam.

The truth is, there is no Peach Pass to Heaven. Christianity is not an easy life. In Psalm 73, David asks God why his life is so difficult while the wicked prosper. It seems to him that the righteous actually get the raw side of the deal.

Scripture repeats this theme over and over. As you read through the Old Testament, you'll find plenty of time where a godly man or woman is obeying God but their life is plagued with troubles and trials (like Joseph or Job or Daniel). And in the New Testament, Jesus tells His disciples that the world will hate them because it hated Him (John 15:18-25).

So if life is going to be hard either way, and even harder if you follow Jesus, then what's the point? If the wicked have the better life, why would we put ourselves through the extra challenge of being a Christian?

Because our hope is in another world.

It's that simple. If life was all about this world, and once you die, it's over, then yes, we'd be the losers. We'd have all the hard parts of life and no enjoyment, and in the end, we'd end up just as dead as the rest of the world.

BUT

This world is not all there is. It is a temporary stopping place on our way through life. Once we leave this world, however, everything will change. Those who put their faith in Jesus will go on to live with Him in eternity, and eternity with Jesus is what will make all this difficult life worth it.

Because He will be worth it all.

But we're still stuck here, for now. How are we going to get through all the challenges of living as a Christ-follower in a world that hates Him?

Jesus told us.

 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b)

Take heart, friends.