What would you do if you knew?

What would your life look like if you lived expecting Jesus to return at any moment? How would your priorities change?

Perspective

This was today's question, and my initial reaction was I would probably have anxiety if I lived with this constant fear that I didn't do enough or wasn't good enough, especially if I hadn't lived a good life. So I think the way to do this is just live.

Everybody thinks the end times come when Jesus shows up in a cloud. Maybe that's the vision you get at death. I know my father had an encounter with the Lord before He died. I was there to hear it. I can't tell you what the vision was. I know what I listened to my father say.

What I do know is that on the day of our death, that is our end time. That's it. Done. No more worries. No more pain. No more disease. No more loneliness. No more bad news. No more politics. No more sin. Dead and gone. Maybe into a spiritual realm where your soul goes to heaven.

I always struggled with the folks trying to predict the end times, the signs, and the secrets. I always felt like this was a fool's errand. 

God made it clear that we won't know. But what we do know is that it is coming—for all of us.

So, how should we live, then? We should be quality people—someone who respects and honors people. We should live in a way aligned with God's Word and do our very best to stay connected to that. Help when we can. Give what we can give. But also enjoy this world for the time you do get. How?

Well, for those people who live in the negative, I would recommend finding the positive. The hostile world is where Satan wants you to be. That way, when something worth taking in comes along, you ignore it. He wants you to have an account of who did you wrong and then let your mind play that back over and over. He wants you to focus on your failures, not what you can or did well.

So many people jump into that place. It's almost a comfort zone. It's a place where you don't love yourself enough to rise above it all. God did not put you here to be a negative person. He didn't put you here to focus on what isn't right. If anything, He put you here to help make things right. But many fail at this.

We can believe in anything—the good and the bad. There is nothing wrong with being objective, real, and honest. But we have no room for the positive when we stay in the negative. When you find your place in the positive, it crowds out the negative. You have to decide where you want to be.

I heard a story about a man who lovingly cleaned Port-a-Johns. The bathroom places that go on construction sites or at significant events. This story was about a construction site.

Every time that man would clean that bathroom, it was super clean and smelled incredibly clean. The construction workers took notice. They also noticed the man would sing while doing what he was doing. One day, the supervisor stopped the man and thanked him for doing what he was doing. He also asked what was making him seem so happy. The man replied, "You are welcome. I do everything for the Lord."

Can you imagine this? A person who might not have gone to college. Perhaps the talent God gave him was to clean and be humble. He would only have what he could have performing that job he was doing. Many of us might not be the same way doing that job. However, this particular man was joyful because he was comfortable that his part of this world was to impact those who used that enclosure. He did; his reward was knowing he was centered and connected to God.

It's a wonder that we all can't get there when you know that story. However, ego, pride, and many other things like to take us away from joy. They become obstacles to knowing God and staying connected with God.

I have no doubt there are other stories of people doing extraordinary things in an even broader sphere of influence who may have a life that seems better than those fellows. I would say better is relative. As Jesus said, and I paraphrase, what is it to gain this whole world and lose yourself?

How many divorces? How many lies? How many dismissive things? How many dishonoring things towards your spouse or family? How often have you bragged about something but did you manipulate and lie behind the curtain? Are you living in joy or fooling yourself?

Let’s be clear. Jesus is coming. We don’t know when, where, or how. Our days are numbered, and we are another day closer to home. So ask yourself, “How am I living?” and decide if this was your last day and Jesus came for you, would you be ready? You do not need a diagnosis of a fatal disease to start to live like today would be your last day. So how about? Now that you know what you will do?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, it isn't easy to walk in this world. It hasn't been easy in many ways. We know where we should focus, but we fail at times. Thank you for reminding us. Please help us stay focused and reminded. Keep us aligned on what our true purpose is here. It isn't about the material things we have, not that we shouldn't enjoy what you have allowed; we need to put them behind our focus on you and how we can be a part of your creation. Thank you to all who model what it is to be connected and centered. Please help us who aren't getting there. Keep us, our families, and our friends safe. We pray all this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.