In My Lifetime

A question popped into my head the other day, “If I knew that Jesus was going to return in my lifetime, would I be living my life any differently?” I forced myself not to answer too quickly without giving the question some real attention, because the temptation was too great to give a presumed answer that wouldn’t necessarily be grounded in truth.As my husband and I ventured through our day together, every now and again I would allow myself to ponder the question and began to form a thought-out response. My answer was a slow, yet honest, “Yes.” Then, the follow-up question came, “What would be different?” Without much difficulty, these are the responses that popped into my internal dialogue:

• Automatically approach & respond to God with “child-like faith”

• Consistently love others “well”

• Discontinue my intimate relationship with DOUBT & FEAR (They are related!)

• Believe God the first time He tells me something…not always asking for proof

• Stop majoring in minors…focus on things that really matter; possess an eternal perspective

• More readily act on the “urgency” in my spirit to share the gospel with people I meet & know

• Daily, plead with God to send more laborers to help bring in the harvest of lost souls

These challenging responses brought a song to my heart, If We Are the Body, sung by Casting Crowns. Here’s the chorus:

But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? There is a way. ~ written by Mark Hall (Casting Crowns)

I want my answer to the question to be different. “No”, would mean that I’m being intentional to live in such a way that my life and deepest longing screams, “Come, Lord Jesus!” While I wait, I want my arms to be His arms that reach into difficult spaces and places, His hands that touch broken lives, and to speak His words of truth and restoration.

Hopefully, all of us know that no one knows when Jesus is scheduled to return to come get His Bride (His Church), including Jesus Christ Himself. Is it in my lifetime? Will He make an entrance in the lifetimes of our nieces and nephews?Your children &/or grandchildren?Only God, the Father, knows. What we do know, is that He is coming back in someone’s lifetime. Just as Jesus’ first appearance came unexpectedly, His second & final appearing will be the same, but a little more noisy and dramatic than His birth announcement! Are we waiting with great expectation, or with huge dread? What needs to be different as we wait? Our answers to this question will vary, just as our Christian walk has been an experience all our very own.

May we each be moved to a place in our experience with Him to confidently say with all our hearts, “Come, Lord Jesus!”