So you be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matt 24:44
Being the oldest of four kids meant being put in charge when mom wasn't around. That was a blessing in learning leadership, responsibility, and working with others.... sometimes! But at other times, I used it to be controlling and push my authority around. One time I had made my younger siblings do work that was not theirs to do. Everything was great for me... not so much for them that day... until I could tell by their reactions that mom had come home at lunchtime and was standing right behind me while I'm pushing them to do my chores. Let's just say that was NOT a fun day for me after all!
Jesus said it will be the same when He comes back. People will be doing what pleases themselves and not what pleases God. And as fast as you can blink an eye, Jesus will be standing there watching us in person. Not a good day for some ... but a great day for those who continue to be faithful! So Jesus instructed the disciples to live every day as if He were coming and we won't be sorry when He does.
For most of us, we need to work on that a little. We are good at planning our lives and expecting to live a certain number of years, experiencing all the things on our bucket list, and then going to Jesus when we're done with this life. But the fact is that today is a gift and tomorrow is only a possibility. We're as close to Jesus' return as our own death - and death can happen at any time. So although we have a life to live, be faithful EVERY DAY as if it were our last. That doesn't mean we quit our jobs and wait for Jesus on a hill somewhere. But it does mean we are faithful to Him, to His commands, and continuing to be prepared.
I learned a tough lesson the day mom surprised me - to be ready for her at any minute and not get caught doing something wrong. Eventually, that just meant NOT doing the wrong thing in the first place, (what a concept!). It was good training for me, and much better for my brothers & sister.
What would your day, week, year look like if you planned every day as if our "heavenly parent" were coming home any minute? Be faithful, and we won't have to worry about Mom standing right behind us.
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