I’m thankful your aunt is confident that someday soon she will go to be with the Lord in heaven. And she’s right: In heaven, all our problems will be behind us. The Bible says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

But we should never use our hope of heaven as an excuse to avoid our problems down here — not if we can do something about them. After all, most problems don’t involve us only as individuals; they usually involve others also. In other words, when we refuse to deal with something that’s wrong in our own lives, we end up hurting not only ourselves but others, as well — and this isn’t the way of love. The Bible says, “He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1 John 4:21).

Encourage your aunt to do whatever she can to deal with her problems — not just for her sake, but for the sake of others. Not all our problems will be solved in this life, but some can, and God wants us to act responsibly and turn to Him for wisdom and help.

Examine your own life, as well. You may be very resourceful in solving your own problems, but this life is not all, and some day you will face eternity. Make sure of your salvation by putting your faith and trust in Christ today.