I spent almost a month in my hometown during the past spring festival. I returned to Beijing last Saturday night and didn’t notify my roommate in advance. Surprisingly, there were some things that were quite different from before.
First of all, two turtles were kept in a big container which was placed in the middle of the living room. Furthermore, my comb was used without permission as the hair left on it was not mine. Compared with being horrified by unexpected creatures, I was more annoyed at sharing my personal belongings with others.
At the same time, it suddenly occurred to me that the scene was similar to the picture depicted in Bible. Believers are servants on earth while their master is gone. If I was not happy with what I saw, how much more will Jesus feel about my situation upon his return?
Do what was told
To avoid suchunpleasantness, I think there are at least three things we could do while waiting for our master’s return. In the first place, we should maximize the gift that God gives to us.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans chapter 12, verses 6-8)
The point is to leverage our talents to build up each other and Christ’s church. We are not supposed to live an idle and fruitless life with the new life given. As the more you have, the more you will be given.
Each of us is held accountable in front of God, we are expected to present the fruits of our lives in the final day. As James put it, faith apart from works is dead. The work we do is the proof of our new nature, which is also the manifestation of our faith in Christ.
Stay alert and pray
It is not always as smooth as we thought it would be when we are doing the good work. We meet obstacles in this journey constantly. Sometimes, they are from the world and non-believers. Sometimes, they are from church and people we trusted deeply.
Prayer is the secrete of not feeling disheartened under such circumstances. As Paul suggested, we should pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. We are not waiting passively when in trouble. Instead, we work with God in our prayer.
Jesus set perfect example when living His life on earth. He prayed the whole night when He had a busy ministry during the day time. He prayed for his disciples and the church during the last supper. He prayed for his soul and sinners during the crucifixion. Prayer was so powerful that even Jesus turned to it unremittingly. How much more should we practice it?
Wait and hope
Unlike other works, the work done for Christ is never void. We are building houses on the rock when living out His Word. We are filled with hope while waiting for his return, because we know that He will repay us according to our work. He will put the world in correct order and bring justice for the righteous. It is an honor for us to participate in this great commission.
Our work and hope are not temporary but eternal. We are given the highest mission and goal in this life. How much more should we be stimulated with such a great vision?
We do not want to present our messy lives to Jesus when He returns. Let us all be well-prepared, do the right work diligently. Hopefully, he will regard us as good and faithful servants when we meet again.