Waiting on the World to ChangeSample

“Hold onto the good.” I Thessalonians 5:22

“We can hardly stand the wait! Please Christmas, don’t be late.” Perhaps you can hear the song in your head immediately...those squeaky, aggravating chipmunk voices singing one of the Christmas songs we all love to hate. The song is a trite example of the world's approach to Christmas consumerism. But for Christians with eyes to see and ears to hear, it may serve as a reminder that the season of Advent – a word that means arrival – is precisely a season of waiting…of anticipation…of preparation for the Big Day…the day after which nothing will ever be the same.

Waiting is never easy. Whether it is waiting for Christmas as a child expecting a special gift or as an adult eager to see the surprised and delighted faces of the ones we love. But waiting has become the business of Christians for almost the last two thousand years.

The earliest Christians expected that they would live to see Jesus come again during their lifetimes. They were ready for it at any minute. They held each other to rather high standards so that when Jesus came back, none would be found wanting. While Paul advocated ridding the community of unwanted and undesirable behaviors, he encouraged the community to “rejoice always” (v. 16), “pray without ceasing” (v. 17), and “give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18).

In other words, Paul wants Christians to be ready for the second coming of Christ by surrounding themselves with other believers who are dedicated to giving their all and their best to Christ. That way we cannot be distracted by misbehavior, but support one another as we wait and watch for the coming of the Lord.

Prayer: O Lord, help us to give thanks and joy in all things. Allow us to see your goodness in one another and in our lives, to concentrate on that as we wait for your arrival. May we be found faithful and true to you, encouraging and supporting one another in every good and perfect gift you offer us.