There is something about the thought of the Lord’s return that should cause us to pause. We often hear about His coming in relation to prophecy, wars, world events, and the signs of the times. We wonder, Could the end be near? When will the Lord return? But perhaps there is a more important question: If the Lord were to return today, how would I be living?
Jesus told us to watch and be ready because we do not know the day or the hour of His coming.1 Being ready is not simply about understanding prophecy or recognizing the signs around us. It is about the condition of our hearts. Are we seeking Christ? Are we growing in Him? Are we allowing Him to deal with the things in us that keep us from Him? Are we becoming too comfortable with this present world?
We can spend so much time watching what is happening around us that we forget to watch our own hearts. The world is full of distractions. There is always something demanding our attention. We can become occupied with news, entertainment, possessions, ambitions, and the things of daily life, while slowly becoming less attentive to the Lord.
Yet the Lord is not simply calling us to watch the world. He is calling us to watch and pray.Preparing for His return means learning to live for Christ—even to live Christ—now. It means seeking Him today, praying today, repenting today, loving today, and allowing Him to work in us today. We do not know when He will return, but we know He is coming.
My Reflection
As I have been thinking about the Lord’s return, I find myself less concerned with when He will come and more concerned with how I am living while I wait. It is easy to look at wars, world events, and everything happening around us and wonder if the end is near. But the Lord keeps bringing me back to something much closer to home: my own heart.
Am I seeking Christ as I should? Am I becoming too comfortable in this world? Am I allowing the things around me to take my attention away from Him? Am I growing in Him, or have I become satisfied with where I am?
These are not always easy questions to answer honestly. But I believe they are far more important than trying to determine exactly when the Lord will return. I don’t know when He is coming. None of us does. But I do know that I want to be found seeking Him.
I want to use this time to know Him more, to allow Him to work in me, and to become less occupied with the things of this world and more occupied with Christ. Perhaps preparing for the Lord’s return is not about anxiously looking toward tomorrow. Perhaps it is about living faithfully with Christ today.
A Simple Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep my heart turned toward You.
Search me, change me, and teach me to seek You.
Help me to live faithfully while I wait for You.
Amen.
- Matthew 24:42–44 ↩︎
