You are standing on a vanishing strip of soil, but not for long. Surrounding you on both sides are two rapidly raging rivers, eating away the ground beneath your feet. Swimming to safety is not an option, and it is only a matter of time before one of the turbulent torrents sweeps you away forever. Strangely, the secret to survival is your sight—keeping your gaze locked on both rushing rapids. And this is not a heart-stopping scene from a survival movie—this is how John Wesley (June 28, 1703—March 2, 1791) picturesquely described living a life that counts for eternity before your heart stops:

“I desire to have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand on this isthmus of life, between two boundless oceans.”

The Scripture supports Wesley’s sobering statement. Life is as short as a three-to-five second breath (Ps. 144:4), and fades as quickly as a vapor (James 4:14). We are candles flickering in the wind, living on borrowed time, and only one heartbeat away from eternity. But why should heaven-bound believers live with one eye fixed on heaven and the other eye fixed on hell? Simply put, concentrating on heaven keeps our hearts lifted and contemplating hell keeps our feet moving. 

To cheer our troubled hearts, we should think often of that glorious place being prepared for us by Christ (John 14:2-3), and to ignite evangelistic zeal in our hearts, we should think often of that gruesome place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), where lost souls are headed. While enduring bitter afflictions, we should ponder the bliss and wonder of spending a never-ending eternity of worshipping Christ (Rom. 8:18), but to strengthen our resolve to preach the gospel to every creature, we should pin our thoughts to the banishment and woe of a never-ceasing eternity of enduring the wrath of God, laid up for our unbelieving friends and family members (2 Thess. 1:8-9). While we rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), we must remember that the souls whose names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever (Rev. 20:12-15), and that should compel us to preach unto them, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). While we yearn for the day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4), we must grieve that there is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42), to which unsaved souls around us are bound, unless they hear and believe the gospel from our lips. 

Keep both infinite oceans in view. Let heaven anchor your heart—let hell awaken your concern. Let heaven console you—let hell compel you to action. Think about the glory awaiting you, and be encouraged. Think about the gloom awaiting the unsaved, and be evangelistic.

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