You are divinely loved, with no hellish fate to fear

The next time you're having a really bad day, which is unfortunately common in this grim economy, remember the spiritual Teachings' reassurance that each of us is deeply, completely, divinely loved.

Think about the intense and protective love that a mother has for her child. One of The Sayings of Muhammad is, "Verily God is more compassionate on His creatures, than this woman on her own child."

We, as beloved creations of the Divine, might experience pain and suffering in this world. We might make painful mistakes that hurt others or ourselves. We might feel guilty about choices we made in the past

But if we accept that we are eternally loved beyond our limited human understanding, then it naturally follows that none of us will be permanently condemned to a hellish fate. What devoted mother would cast her beloved child into a deadly inferno? There will be lessons to learn, but there will never come a time when any of us will be cast aside.

If we can stop worrying about any threat of eternal punishment, then we can start paying more attention to what's happening right here and now on this planet. If we can stop worrying about whether we're "good enough" relative to whatever everyone else is doing, then we can stop comparing our thoughts and actions to those of other people. We can work and play together more freely and without judgment.

Now you might reasonably ask where the idea of hell and eternal damnation came from, if all of us will be safe. Good question!

The earliest concept of hell was born centuries ago, when holy fire was commonly used to describe purification that burns away whatever is mortal and leaves only the divine. The goddess Demeter, for example, is said to have shown her gratitude to a kind couple by gently putting their mortal baby in the fire every night to give him immortality. The baby was not harmed in any way; he only benefited.  

Imagine a divinity like Demeter showing you the same gentleness and harmlessness when helping to rid you of everything you are not, leaving only the immortal spirit you really are. Think of being embraced by a divinity who loves you even more than a mother loves her child. Through that love, the eternal soul within each of us - our True Self - will live forever, happily leaving our ego and mortality behind.

Enjoy this moment, with all the people around you, without any fear of what will happen after death. You do not need to worry about winning the approval of a Father God or a Divine Mother. You are already divinely loved, forever and without exception. As stated in A Course in Miracles, "You are altogether irreplaceable in the Mind of God."