A lot of us act like this life is it and that there is nothing afterward. As a Chrisitan, I believe that there is this life which is temporary and then there is the eternal life.
Depending on your acceptance of Christ as your Lord and Savior, that He is the son of God, that He died for your sins, and that he rose on the third day, and ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God, will determine where you spend eternity. When we die, that is not it. We either go to Heaven and then to Paradise or we go to Hell and then the Lake of Fire.
Not sure why anyone would want to risk spending eternity in the Lake of Fire with Satan. It will be an endless torment for eternity.
I realize that a lot of us cannot conceptualize what eternity is like, but picture something going on forever and ever. That is what eternity is. Yeah, I know that really did not help, but if you traced the infinity symbol continuously, would it ever end? The answer is no.
2 Corinthians 4:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
So why do we treat this life as though it is more important than the afterlife? It is what we can interact with and it is much easier. Furthermore, we believe the lies that Satan tells us. His goal is to drive us away from God and once that seed of doubt is implanted, it becomes more difficult to get rid of.
Now you can continue to believe that this life is it and go about telling yourself you can act how you want and treat people how you want all to get ahead or you can try to act more like Christ. You cannot do both so it comes down to either you are of the world or not.
Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
God will never force you to choose one way or the other. That is free will.