The coming of the Lord is at hand! Does your life testify this truth?
I was reading in James 5 the other day. This chapter has a lot to say to us, but the one thing that stood out to me at the time was verse 8: “You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Christ is coming back, and are we ready for Him? Are we living as though He will come back for His own at any moment?
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Luke 12:35-48 ESV
This passage says very clearly that we are to be ready and waiting for Christ’s return; we’re to be living as if we expect him any moment! When He comes back, it says that some will be doing things that they will be ashamed of having their master finding them doing. We are to live in a way that we may be “confident and unashamed” (1 John 2:28) when we finally see Him face to face.
Are we doing the will of the Master? He has given us much, including life and salvation in Christ, and of us much is required. Are we being responsible stewards of the things God has given us, materially and spiritually? Are we living in a way that we can be confident and unashamed before Him?
When I read that verse I started to look at my life. I started thinking about how I live, and I certainly have not been living with the eager expectation that He will come any moment. I live my life many times without thinking about Him, and doing things that I would be ashamed of if He came and found me doing them. Since then, I’ve been thinking about things I can change in my life, so that when He comes I can be eagerly waiting for Him. I’ve realized that I need to remind myself daily that He is coming, and I am learning to eagerly await His return. As I do that, I believe that God will continue to change my heart and my life, into something that is pleasing to Him.
