What if Christ were to return tomorrow? How would it change the way you live today? Would you change anything you do on a typical day? Would Jesus coming back excite or terrify you? These are important questions we must all answer for ourselves because Christ could indeed return tomorrow. He could come back today.
No one knows when He will return, but I know I want to be ready for that day. It occurs to me the only way to be certain I am ready is to live every day as if Jesus is returning tomorrow. We know Jesus is coming back, so what we must answer is whether we will be ready. What changes must we make to prepare for His return?
The truth is, no changes should be required. The reality is none of us are as ready as we should be. If Jesus is everything to you, then the goal is to make your entire life about Him, to pursue holiness in order to glorify Him (1 Peter 1:15–16; Hebrews 12:14). But is that the way we are living? To prepare for His return, we need to take an inventory of our lives. Are we harboring any bitterness or unforgiveness? Is our speech pure and uplifting (Ephesians 4:29)? What about our thoughts? Are we focusing on things that are pure, lovely, and above reproach (Philippians 4:8)? Are we doing the things God commands us to do (John 14:21; James 1:22)?
One thing we know for certain is that there will be no do-overs. When Jesus returns, He will find us as we are. Will that cause us to rejoice or to be filled with fear and shame? The entirety of our lives should reflect Christ, and if they don’t, we should begin right now to change what needs to be changed. Get rid of sinful behaviors and habits. Begin living for God instead of yourself. If there is any known sin in your life, end it now. No more excuses or rationalizations. If you recognize sin in your life and have a genuine desire to honor Christ, the sin must go.
To prepare for His return, we need pure hearts and clean hands before our King (Psalm 24:3–4). The amount of patience God has exercised throughout history is coming to an end. When He returns to earth, He’s not bringing a welcoming party with Him; He is coming in judgment and righteous wrath (Revelation 19:11–15). You need to get with Jesus or prepare to be thrown out of the way. The time to prepare for His return is right now and not a moment later (2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:15).
We all slip from time to time and give in to our sinful nature. We never want that to happen, but how much worse will it be if Christ returns when we are in the midst of sinning? There will be no second chances for what we are doing when He returns. Scripture tells us His return will be in the blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We’ll have no time to react, no time to hide. One moment we will be living life as usual, the next Jesus will appear (Matthew 24:38-44).
We won’t be ready unless we prepare for His return every moment of our lives. Don’t get caught unprepared. Repent and seek Jesus today. Live according to His Word, obeying His commands so you will be perfect as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48). If we do that, His return will be nothing but pure joy and excitement for us. Be ready!