What Are You Waiting For?

It is the second day of a new year, a year marking the beginning of a decade. 01.02.2010 is a numerical palindrome, which is fitting because I am both looking back and forward at the same time. Looking back at the decade we have been through -- terrorist attacks, economic distress, social turmoil, political upheaval -- it is easy to wish it good riddance. Some people think these conditions herald the end of the age, the Last Days, the birth pangs of a new world coming.

I occasionally find myself wishing the end might be near. After all, several of Jesus' parables admonish us to watch and wait for His return. However, the Lord also suggested that we occupy our time wisely while anticipating His coming. Those who sell everything and head for a mountain top to await the blessed reunion are missing this vital aspect of His teaching. But I sometimes wonder if many of us aren't behaving more like the servant who buried his talent or the bridesmaids who ran out of oil.

Looking forward to the Lord's return and overlooking the Lord's work is a comfortable trap. Like so much of Christian thinking, the proper attitude toward the future feels like a paradox. We are to live for today, giving no thought for where tomorrow's bread will come from, because only fools build giant storehouses; yet we are to study the ant and lay up stores for a coming winter. Although we have no true earthly dwelling place, we must build our houses upon the rock, counting the cost to assure sufficient means to complete the project. Finding the balance in this is a challenging tight rope walk.

It is also a mistake to look forward with expectations for nothing but blessings in the material plane. I am well aware that some Christians believe physical prosperity is a measure of spiritual faith. This just doesn't line up with New Testament teaching or the experience of centuries of faithful saints. Jesus had the chance to proclaim the prosperity gospel during His confrontation with the Devil. Satan challenged the Lord to stake His claim in the material realm and our Savior steadfastly refused. "In the world," He later promised, "you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

And so we wait. The already/not yet nature of our existence is frustrating in the extreme. But we must live our lives in that tension: Christ conquered the enemy by living a sinless life and then giving it up on the cross, and our ultimate victory is assured by His resurrection from the dead; but our struggle with the world, the flesh and the Devil will not be over until we die or Jesus returns for us. The question is, what are you waiting for. The kingdom of heaven starts now; the next heavenly deed is yours for the doing. If you want 2010 to be better than 2009, don't waste any time waiting for things to get better. Make them better starting now.