We know that one day Jesus is going to come back again. So we need to be ready for Him. He may come tomorrow, in a year, or even after our lifetime – so we need to make sure we’re prepared. Jesus said: ‘You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him’ (v.40 NIV). Jesus compares us waiting for His return to a manager who has been put in charge of the servant’s food allowance while the master goes away. The Message version sums up the story like this: ‘He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he’s doing his job. But if he says to himself, “The master is certainly taking his time,” begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes’ (Luke 12:42-46 MSG). Imagine if we all started living in an un-Christlike way, treating other people badly, disobeying rules, and putting ourselves first. There would be chaos. But, even worse, imagine if we were living like that, and then Jesus showed up. He saw the way we were living. Would He be pleased with how we were behaving? This doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, we all make mistakes, and that’s why God’s grace and mercy are so amazing. But what it does mean is that we need to be trying to live in a way that glorifies Him. He knows when we are trying to live in a Christlike way. He sees our heart.

What Now?

Honestly assess how you’ve been living recently. If Jesus came back today, would He be pleased? If not, come up with a way you can make a difference to your lifestyle.