When Jesus left earth, He promised He would eventually return to take His people and live with Him in His Kingdom. Regardless of what you believe about particular eschatology of end times, all Christians can concur that Christ is returning. We’re called to be ready, walking the straight and narrow path, so He can tell us, “well done, good and faithful servant,” on the wonderful day we meet Him face to face. Here are some things you can do as you attempt to develop a life centered around Christ and enthusiastically await His return.
Pray.
Developing a lively prayer life is a foundational goal of the Christian life. Still, it’s even more necessary as we prepare for Jesus’ return and see Him face to face. Someone compared prayer to a phone call with God where the line is always open, and the phone never hangs up. You can always pick up the phone and talk to your Father in heaven. This kind of relationship is the one that scripture encourages us to have with Jesus. If we do, we’ll be ready to meet Him when He returns and takes us home to be with Him. Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to pray in the Spirit for every occasion with every kind of request and prayer.
Study your Bible.
Similar to prayer, studying God’s Word is essential for a lively Christian life and vital if you want to be prepared for His return. Learning and reading the Bible familiarizes us with Jesus’ thoughts on end times and His imminent return. However, it also expands our knowledge of Him and lets the Holy Spirit work in our lives to make us more like Christ as we face the struggles of life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all Scripture is useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness. Therefore, the servant of God will be readily equipped for all good works.
Repent before His return.
Repenting isn’t only feeling sorry for sinning but also turning away from sin to God. Repentance takes humility, an essential step in developing a relationship with Christ. Although repentance occurs at the beginning of a relationship with Jesus, it’s something that Christians must constantly practice. Everyone will give into sin and temptation, so we should humble ourselves before God and confess our failures so that He can restore us to a proper relationship with Him through His abundant forgiveness and grace.
Revelation 3:3 reminds us, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
Expand your faith.
Once you come to Christ in faith, you must not become inactive in your walk with Christ. Think about when Jesus warned the Laodicean church of this in the book of Revelation. Jesus told the church that He knew everything they did and weren’t hot or cold while expressing that He wished they would pick one or the other. Jesus added that since they liked warm water that was neither cold nor hot, he would spit it out of His mouth. They thought they were rich with everything they wanted but didn’t realize they were miserable, so Jesus advised them to buy gold; then they’d be rich. He also urged the church to buy white clothes and ointment. Jesus ended his speech by saying he disciplined and corrected those He loved, so the church should turn away from indifference.
Jesus said all that to say that we should study God’s Word and fellowship with other Christians so our faith can grow, and we’ll be ready to meet Jesus.
Share your faith.
A lot of people don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Since we don’t know the day or time when Jesus will return, we should constantly seek opportunities to share our faith. Whether it’s a neighbor across the street, a stranger on the subway, or your family member, we should be open to how God opens doors to people’s hearts and relationships. Mark 16:15-16 reminds us that we should go to the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Those who put their trust in God and are baptized will be saved from the consequences of sin. However, people who don’t trust God will be punished forever.
Get your priorities in order for His return.
It’s easy to get caught up in the world around you. Everyone has worries, responsibilities, and to-do lists. It’s good to stay productive and busy, but it’s not good to let the concerns of the world and your to-do lists distance you from God and keeping a close relationship with Him. There are numerous stories in the Bible about people who let the world take them over and weren’t aware when Jesus came back. Luke 12:40 reminds us that we should be ready for Jesus’ return because He’ll return when we least expect it.
Believe that God is working.
Even when we can’t see, God is always at work. The Bible is the tale of His primary plan for the world. We’re living in the Church Age, which means Jesus can return any moment or day. Although Scripture says that no one knows the hour or day of His return, it also teaches us to be ready and sure that God is working, even when it’s challenging to see.
Keep an eternal point of view.
The Bible says that our real citizenship is in heaven. We are sojourners on earth, waiting for our home with the Savior. This information is encouraging and helpful to remember as we go through life’s challenges and struggles. Jesus is coming back, and He’ll take us to be with Him for eternity.
Jesus is coming back. Visibly and personally, He’s coming back in power and glory. He’s returning to complete his redemptive quest and establish His eternal kingdom. There may be some discrepancies around the end times, but we can all agree that Jesus will return. As we patiently wait for His return, these activities will ensure that we’re ready for Him when He returns.
