1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV)

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Explanation:

I feel like I’ve spent quite a bit of time in my life preparing for upcoming events. As a mom with four kids, I’ve spent many hours packing diaper bags, packing snacks, making meals, helping pack backpacks. Now that my kids are a little older, I spend time each week writing out the schedules filled with practices, concerts, and social activities, then put time into planning out how all of those events are going to coordinate. Each night, Matthew and I talk about the next day and what needs to happen when. In my own schedule, I’m constantly thinking about what emails need to be sent, people contacted, meeting scheduled. If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time thinking about and planning for what’s next.

But I wonder, do we spend enough time thinking about the state of our relationship with God? Are we as concerned about preparing for Christ’s return as we are what emails need to be sent or what event we have next? If I’m honest, I can get caught up in the preparation of my daily activities and sometimes put my time with God on the back burner. I know God gives mercy, and I don’t want to fall into a legalistic trap of thinking that only if I spend time daily with God will I be ready for Christ’s Second Coming. But I do know that when I spend time with God on a daily basis, my life is a better reflection of Him. When my focus is on putting God first, the rest of my priorities fall into place. I want to be as prepared as possible for Christ’s return, and that only comes in being purposed in how I live and what my priorities are in my life.

There are some passages of scripture that cut to the chase. I feel like this is one of them. Paul is not fooling around when he describes the day of Christ’s return. Are you prepared for your most important event ever? If you are in relationship with God and pursuing a life that reflects Him and His word (the Bible), then you have nothing to fear. If you aren’t, however, pursuing God in your life, then you should be scared. You don’t want to experience the “sudden destruction” that will come upon you. Instead, you want to be children of the light who remain in the light. You want to be people who are pursuing God and making Him a priority in your life.

Application:

1. Are you confident in where you stand with God if Christ were to return today?

2. Think through your schedule for yesterday and today. If someone looked at your schedule, could they see a space for time with God?

3. What is one practical step you can take today to be ready for Christ’s return?

Prayer:

God, we don’t know the day or time of Your return. We do know that it is going to happen, and we desire to be as ready as we possibly can. Forgive me for the times when I’ve shrugged off the idea of Your return and have been so focused on my own desires. Help us to have hearts that truly desire to grow in the knowledge of who You are and to transfer that knowledge into actions. We await Your Second Coming, and look forward to it with hope!