Awake and Aware

“So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” Mark 13:29 ESV

I loved it when my dad would come home in the evening.  He would often go into the yard and play with me.  We would throw the ball or kick the soccer ball.  Even if he did not do any of that, the home felt more complete with him there.  It was comforting.

However, there were days when I had been punished for something by my mom and she would say those dreaded words, “Wait until your father gets home.”  Those words alone would bring fear.  From behind the door in my bedroom, I could here every tick of the garage door as that was the harbinger of coming judgement, my father’s return.  He would walk in whistling and happy.  Then, I would hear indistinct conversation from my mother, and I could feel the mood in the house darken.  Steps that most days brought fun, became the sound of judgement.

There is much fear, even amongst Christians, when we think about Jesus coming back.  Some of it is because we fear the unknown.  Maybe we think we are about to receive punishment, or maybe we are walking in disobedience.  Jesus is near and his return is close (in the Biblical sense).  This could bring comfort and strength instead of fear.  Jesus told his disciples this as a reminder to stay vigilant.  He did not want them to live in fear, rather in awareness.

How does it make you feel knowing how close the return of Christ could be?  What drives those emotions?  What would it take for you to remain vigilant in waiting for his return?