How to Wait for Christ

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. (2 Thess. 3:5)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:20-21)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13)

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thess. 1:9b-10)

The common theme in these verses is waiting. We are to wait patiently and eagerly for this wonderful event that is sure to happen. If I am eagerly waiting, I might be impatient. If I am patient, I might not be eagerly anticipating. Or I might not be waiting at all.

Rather than dwell on the waiting, we should dwell on the promised event, pray for it, and work for it.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:14)

I confess that in my 20s and 30s I was in a more expectant mood. I am now exhorting myself.

We see the enemy constantly at work, but Christ is the victor.

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