Have you been worried, lately? Who hasn’t been upset these days?
No one knows this better than God when he said: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
We worry about money and riches; what we will eat; what we will drink; what we will wear: nice clothes, a car, a house, a job, an office, a reputation, a legacy, but Jesus has the answer: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) “The earth is the LORD’S” (Psalm 24:1) so, we can ignore all of our worries, which are, really, trivial, and turn to God and his goodness and he will bless us.
The kingdom of God is like a thrifty family, here, on earth, because although God the Father is rich and powerful, his children are poor and humble. It’s like he gives them a lot of excellent food that they love, but irregularly, and keeps them hungry often. And it’s like he trims their hair at irregular times, also upsetting them. But that upbringing is so they won’t love living in the world more than being with him. God does these things to his children to make them love only him, get their satisfaction only from him and not his blessings, to make them grow up by his side, forever.
Of course, there’s the other family, and it’s like the opposite of God’s family, although they copy God and his family in some ways. So, it’s fake, as we’re used to. Consuming things, by Satan and his children is a stark contrast to giving, by God and his family. Satan wanted to get the love, admiration and respect of God – “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14) – so, he got thrown out of heaven. Jesus, God’s Son, gave his life as a ransom to bring sinners to heaven. Satan’s children are loud, proud lawbreakers and troublemakers. God’s children like to please God and be with likeminded people, so they stay away from the sinners and wisely stick close to God.
Since Satan and his family and God and his family are polar opposites, like north and south, that are furthest away, and water and oil, that don’t mix, the two families do not get along, well, together, and are headed in different directions: Satan and his children, are going down, to hell; and God will lift his children up, to heaven. Jesus explained where we’re going in Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” If we don’t forgive, we won’t go to heaven. It’s a sign. It shows what family we’re in and where we’re going.