No Stupid Questions - Martin Wiles

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18 NLT

Although my wife and I discuss our bills together, she normally pays them. Not this time.

Occasionally, she’ll ask me to stop by the credit union on my way home from work to pay the car loan. I had cash, but not the exact amount. I handed the teller the cash, along with the bill. After what seemed like forever, she returned to the window with my receipt and said, “Thank you. Have a nice day.”

Confused about where my change was, I determined what she’d done: put the entire amount toward our loan. I didn’t tell her to and had never had a place to do this before.

“I didn’t want to apply the entire amount,” I said.

“Oh, that’s what we normally do unless a customer tells us otherwise,” she responded. Then with a confused look on her face, she asked, “What do you want me to do with the change?”

I wanted to be sarcastic, but knew I shouldn’t. So, I smiled and said, “Give it to me.” I wanted to say, “What do you normally do with change? Put it in your pocket? Throw it out the window? Add it to the bank’s funds?” But I held my tongue.

I’ve taught my children and the ones I teach at school that there are no stupid questions, but the woman’s question pushed the envelope. The one the religious leader asked Jesus, however, wasn’t. How to have eternal life ranks at the top of important questions. Jesus told him to obey the commandments. He claimed he had. So, Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. He wasn’t interested; he was rich. He went away sad.

Everyone is born with eternal life. We’ll die, but our immortal souls—and later our resurrected bodies—won’t. We’ll spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. The man wanted eternal life in heaven. But the eternal life he wanted comes with a choice and sacrifices. It entails choosing to believe in Christ and follow Him obediently, making Him the Lord of our lives.

Eternal life is also more than existing forever. It involves a quality of life now. We live with eternity in mind. Everything we do and every choice we make should be done and made with Christ in mind. What would He do? How would He think? Would He go here? Would He marry this person? Would He make this investment … or purchase?

Have you asked and answered life’s most important question?

Prayer: Father, help us to give the right answers to life’s most important questions.

Tell us about some questions you have. 

Tweetable: What questions are you asking? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.