If you stay ready....

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  –Matthew 24:12-13 (NIV)
 
I recently heard of a conversation at a Waffle House. The discussion was by no means spiritual and the person overhearing it wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. It was between two members of the staff, and if you’ve ever been inside a Waffle House, you know the layout doesn’t lend itself to privacy. The waitress was talking to the cook about preparation for some upcoming event. Over his hash browns (scattered and smothered, of course), the cook simply said, “If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.” My friend hadn’t been following the flow of the conversation closely up to then, but the statement struck him as profound.
 
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch….  –Matthew 24:42-43a (NIV)
 
We live in the in-between, the “already but not yet”. The Kingdom of Heaven has come, but its full glory won’t be revealed until Christ returns. He has promised to come back for us (and He’s famous for keeping promises), but it’s tough living in the in-between because we don’t WHEN He’s coming back. I very much relate to the disciples – on the night of Jesus’ arrest, as He tried one last time to explain His impending crucifixion and resurrection, they wondered aloud: “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” (John 16:18)
 
Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.  –Matthew 25:11-13 (NIV)
 
Sadly, many of us will not be up to the challenge. The rigor of staying faithful will prove too much. The pull of the world will prove too strong. The strain of swimming upstream against the prevailing culture will be too tiring. The pain of a particular trial will make us doubt His goodness. The delay in fulfillment of the promise will tempt us toward complacency. We’ll sit down to rest and decide the fight can wait until another day. But deep down we know better. Putting tape over the check engine light doesn’t fix the problem and deferring the decision is, in itself a decision.
 
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them…. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  –Matthew 25:14, 19 (NIV)
 
It isn’t easy, but what worthwhile thing ever was? It doesn’t have to be tedious. An invitation into a personal relationship with the God of the universe is actually pretty exciting. And we have Spirit help. We don’t have to make ourselves perfect, we just have to keep putting ourselves in a place where He is making us perfect. The eternal life we can taste now will come into full bloom then. But only if we stay in the game. I pray you don’t miss it. “If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.”
 
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’  –Matthew 25:34 (NIV)