Don’t Panic. No One is Ready.

“Jesus is coming, are you ready?”

This is a sign I have seen a few times this week on various church buildings. The superstitious in me believes it may be a sign from above telling me to change something in my life or face the consequences. Yet what this peculiar question does, is polarize and harm the view of Christians.

First, it does not look like Jesus is coming. People inside and outside of the church live in great comfort but also social unrest. This is an unending cycle of fog that will keep our gaze down in a world that appears devoid of anything divine. Also, saints and zealots alike have declared that he was due to come back throughout the decades. Even the apostles wrote of his impending return.Yet, no Jesus. Perhaps it would be better to point out the current presence of Christ in a fallen world. For no one comes to deep faith by a fear of a coming tyrant. Those who are saved are those who find peace and patience in a God that never left and is as near as our next breath.

Second, it is an understatement to say that any of us are “ready” for His return. There are some mornings where I have to muster enough courage to simply walk out the door. To be ready for the creator to pierce through the cloak of absurdity is, to say the least, difficult. Statements like these forget about grace. It is never a question of me being ready but of His Spirit moving in me through sanctification. Make no mistake, there are no saints without the movement of our God. On our own, we cannot please God for all are sinners and all fall short. So perhaps our echo to the world should take the form of a needy prayer and a broken hallelujah. While everything in me groans for his human return, I know that I am not ready. I fear my Lord will find me as desperate for His hand as I was that hour I first believed. Holding close the fear and doubt, I pray his Spirit would break my fingers and mend my heart.

Today, remember that He is close in this difficult time. He is faithful and alive in you amidst your hurt and humanity. Pray for growth.