Procrastinators, Beware!
Maybe Jesus did not get more specific so we would live with a constant sense of expectation, looking for His soon return. Clearly that was the message of His story about the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), five of whom were prepared for the bridegroom’s coming and five of whom were not. Jesus emphasized the point of the story: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (25:13 NKJV).
God knows that some of us are terrible procrastinators. We would gladly put off until tomorrow what we should have done yesterday. On the other hand, my mother always prepared well in advance. She had a disciplined manner, and my family members could set their clocks and calendars by Mother’s schedule. She washed clothes on Monday; she ironed on Tuesday. She bought groceries on Friday. Her pattern rarely changed. If we planned a picnic, and something happened that we could not go, my mother cried because her plans had changed.
Perhaps as a reaction to Mother’s rigidity, I have always been just the opposite. I hate to prepare for trips ahead of time. An hour (or less) before it is time to go, I will be scouring my clothes closet, tossing shirts, socks, and underwear every which way, trying to figure out what I should pack. Similarly, if I am preaching at a church, I wait until the last minute before getting dressed, usually arriving just in time to walk onto the platform.
By not telling us the exact time and date of His coming, perhaps Jesus was being especially gracious to procrastinators like me. If Jesus had given us an exact date for His return, some people would no doubt waste much of their time, talents, and treasures on meaningless or trivial pursuits. They would wait until the last minute to prepare to meet the King of kings face to face.
When it comes to the Second Coming, we will not read an announcement in the newspaper the day before Christ’s return. You will not hear an anchorman declare on the evening news, “And tomorrow at five o’clock, Jesus Christ will return to earth in power and glory, with His holy angels, Film at eleven.”
Yet, if you listen carefully, you will hear prophetic “voices in the wilderness” proclaiming the message that Christ’s return is imminent. It is “gettin’ ready time.” This is no dress rehearsal, this is the real thing. Furthermore, we need to fall in love with Jesus now, and not wait until the last minute. If Jesus really is coming soon, how much more important it is that we get to know Him better, and that we center our lives around the things that are important to Him.
Years ago, an artist painted a scene in which a young woman was standing on a cliff, looking out to sea, her hand shading her eyes as she eagerly scanned the horizon, watching for the first sign of her husband’s returning ship. Her face is filled with love and desire, as though she is recalling exactly what he had promised her concerning his return and when she might expect to see him again. As she looks for his ship, she is already preparing a welcome for him in her heart.
Christians who truly love the Lord Jesus will have a similar attitude as we look for signs of His soon appearing. We should be recalling His every word, studying the Scriptures to help us remember what is important to our loving Lord, scanning the horizon, watching for hints that the time is drawing near, and preparing our hearts in anticipation.
(To Be Continued)
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 1
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 3
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 4
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 5
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 6
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 7
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 8
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 9
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 10
Will We Go Through the Tribulation? – Part 11
Excerpt from Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse
Published in 1998