Living Expectantly
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:8
Psychologists tell us that anticipation, which is the opposite of surprise, is an emotion with marvelous healing powers. Can you imagine a world without anticipation? How would you feel with nothing to look forward to? Welcome to non-Christianity. Without Christ, there’s no ultimate anticipation. There may be momentary prospects and incremental excitement, but lasting expectancy is missing. Everything is different for Jesus followers! Our best days are ahead of us, and we can anticipate all the glories of eternity. That should motivate our daily faithfulness as we wait for His return. (The Book of Signs)
The Crown of Righteousness is reserved for those who have a longing for the Lord Jesus and who watch for Jesus to return. When the apostle Paul wrote the passage above, he was nearing the end of his life. But rather than dreading death, he was looking forward to the second coming. He was ready to meet Christ and content with his record of service for the Master. In his letter to Timothy he described the life of the believer as one filled with struggles, endurance, discipline and final victory. He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) I want to have that same confidence and expectation, don’t you? The way we do that is to live in expectation of the Lord’s return and in the waiting we remain faithful.
I read a story of a tourist who visited a beautiful mansion on a lovely lakeshore in Switzerland. The house was surrounded by well-kept gardens connected by tidy pathways. Not a weed anywhere.
“How long have you been caretaker here?” the tourist asked the gardener.
“I’ve been here twenty years.”
“And during that time how often has the owner of the property been in residence?”
“The gardener smiled and said, “He has been here only four times.”
“And to think,” exclaimed the visitor, “all these years you’ve kept this house and garden in such superb condition. You tend them as if you expected him to come tomorrow.”
“Oh no,” replied the gardener, “I look after them as if I expected him to come today.”
Jesus is coming back, coming any minute, coming soon, maybe today. The Bible says the time is short and we must work for the night is coming. (1 Cor. 7:29) The more vividly aware we are of His impending return, the more we’ll be motivated in our work for Him in these last days.
