December 11, 2012

1 Thessalonians 5:1-8  (The Message Translation)

"I don't think, friends that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master's coming can't be posted on our calendars. He won't call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody's walking around complacently, congratulating each other—"We've sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!"—suddenly everything will fall apart. It's going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.

But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation."

            Let's see, I have my desk calendar, my day planner, my computer and my smart phone which includes audible alerts to remind me of important events.  Wonderful!  My life is all planned out and scheduled so I won't miss a thing.  What's this note?  Oh yes, it's the season of Advent, the season when we prepare our hearts and mind for Jesus' second coming.  But there is a problem; I don't have the date of Jesus' coming on any of my calendars.  How can that be?  How can we prepare for something if we do not know when it is going to happen?  Of course, that has been a dilemma for Christ's followers since the day he ascended into heaven.  When will Christ come again?  Good question! Over the past 20 or so centuries many people have tried to predict Jesus' second coming, all without success.  That fact should not surprise us since Jesus did not know when he would return.  So what should we do so that we will be ready when Jesus returns? The Apostle Paul offers some simple, yet sound advice, as he encourages us to live out our faith each and every day.  I love the way Eugene Peterson translates Paul's advice in The Message:  "Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation." If we live each day as if we were expecting Christ to arrive at any moment we may discover that his coming will become an everyday experience for us.

            Prayer:

                        Loving God, by the power of your Spirit, help us to realize that every day is a gift of your grace.  Give us the courage to rejoice and be glad in this daily gift as we wait in hope for the coming of Christ into our world and our lives.  Amen.