GETTIN’ READY

The sign’s up in our yard, the virtual tour’s on the internet, and the repairs are complete.  We’ve been getting the ole’ homestead ready to sell!  From removing clutter…to cleaning up corners…to caulking the shower…to replacing windows…to painting the trim…we’ve been on a mission.  Funny thing is, why did we wait so long to fix up the place?  We should have done these things long ago, but we suddenly felt pressured to get it ready.  How much more enjoyable had we done it sooner.

Over the months and years, we’ve learned to put up with these little inconveniences, little nicks in the paint, little breaks in the system.  Even though much of it bothered us, these things got familiar over time.  Pretty soon we didn’t even notice them.  We learned to overlook the imperfections and ignore the need.  We covered them up or put them on our to-do list for the future.  Out of sight, out of mind.  And to be really honest, there was always something more important to do than home repairs.

It’s human nature to get ready at the last minute.  I remember my mother making a mad dash to straighten up the living room when unexpected company knocked on the door.  It’s funny the way entertaining gives us all an incentive to dig in and clean.  It’s easier to put it off if no one’s coming by to see the way we really live.  But we clean things up when someone’s coming over for dinner.  We get the place ready when we face a deadline.  And putting our house up for sale was the incentive we needed for improving our environment.

In the same way, focusing on the fact that Jesus might return today should result in our purity.  The challenge for clean living supersedes all else when we remember Jesus Christ might break through the clouds at any given moment.  Yet this is something we can’t put off until tomorrow.  We have to get our spiritual house ready today before He comes.

The day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.

How many people would run to Jesus if they knew for sure this was the day?  How many of us believers would become less careless and apathetic about the way we live?  How many of us would force ourselves to clean up our thought life; we’d watch our language; we’d be more careful of our behavior; and we’d make some needed structural repairs to our inner life?

Then the heavens will pass away and everything in them will disappear in fire and the earth and everything in it will be judged.

The sobering thought is that it can be too late if we don’t get ready now.  When the trumpet sounds, there will be no more time to make things right.  This is the reality of living the Kingdom life here and now.  We must be prepared for the Lord’s return.  It’s not something we can put off just by covering up imperfections or ignoring what’s vital.  The incentive is real.  Jesus is coming back to earth again.

Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living.

Preparing our home for prospective buyers has taught us so much.  A lot of its been about gettin’ ready.  The day has come.  The sale is out there, and we can’t put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today.   Before it’s too late.  We are going to reap the benefits of taking care of these things.  And we will reap spiritual rewards when we choose to live pure and godly lives.   Don’t ignore the condition of your spiritual house.  Are you gettin’ ready?