by Marilynn Chadwick
Look Up! The personalized license plate on the car in front of me caught my eye. Look up! Two simple words, right out of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus was reminding his followers to pay close attention to the signs of the times. “So when all these things begin to happen,” he explained, “stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28 NLT). Believers all over the world celebrate a risen Savior. But there’s more to the story. He is coming back.
As Christians, we are encouraged to continually watch for signs of God through his Word and his work all around us. To be alert to his imprint on world events—God's big picture. But Jesus also wants us to be watching for his return. It’s vitally important that we be alert. But we should never become so fascinated with the “end times” that we simply cling to our sanity while waiting for Jesus to rescue us from this messy world. Surely, we were made for more.
What does it look like to be ready for Jesus’s return? Let’s consider the instructions to the church in 1 Peter. These believers were fiercely persecuted. They were always in danger of getting killed so they had plenty to worry about. These early Christians lived in what theologians refer to as “imminence.” They lived in a continual readiness for Jesus’s soon return.
Peter reminds them to live with the end in mind. But he doesn’t tell them to become obsessed with predictions, retreat to a survivalist community, stockpile their goods, or take up arms. He simply tells them to be ready for Jesus’s return by living as faithful believers:
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:7-10 NIV).
Dear friends, while we wait for the return of our soon coming king, we are instructed to remain alert and watchful so we can pray. Prayer helps us stay connected to God. We’re to love each other, forgiving one another and inviting others into our homes. We’re to serve others and administer God’s grace using the spiritual gifts and resources he's given to us. We’re to share his Good News with the least and the lost at home and around the world.
How should we keep watch for Jesus’s return? By being faithful. We remain ready and stay steady by doing the same things we should be doing every day. We keep watch by doing God’s will. Then when Jesus comes, he’ll find us ready for his return.
Come soon, Lord Jesus. Strengthen us so we may remain alert and watchful. And while we wait, may we be faithful to answer your call to a hurting and broken world.
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