Are you on your way to heaven? Do you know how we are supposed to spend our time waiting for the second coming of Jesus? How should we live our lives here on earth? How about dressing up in hope, faith and love?

I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—”We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman. (1 Thessalonians 5: 1-3, MSG)

Be spiritually alive and build up hope!

God wants us to be spiritually alive and build up expectant hope around us. We are not to forget God’s promises and cease from living them out in our lives. We are not to sleepwalk through life! We are not to waste our lives on unworthy things. We are to keep our eyes open and trust steadily in God. We are to hope unswervingly and love extravagantly.

But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5: 4-8, MSG)

If you are on your way to heaven, act like it. Dress up in hope, faith and love!

How do we do that?

By daring to trust God.
By entering into God’s Word daily.
By spending time with Jesus.
By loving the people God sends in our lives.
By being faithful and obedient from day to day.
By praying without ceasing.
By being thankful in everything.
By hugging and sharing God’s love with each other.
By building up hope around you.
By being spiritually alert.
By serving the needy.
By keeping Sabbath.
By listening to God.
By surrendering to God’s will.

God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. (1 Thessalonians 5: 9-11, MSG)

Keep walking!

If you are on the way to heaven, keep walking. Don’t take detours, don’t put down roots. Just keep walking. Invite people to join you. Build up hope around you so everyone would join you on the way to heaven. Wear hope, faith and love!

Be cheerful, God is with you.
Be thankful, it’s all grace.
Be expectant, we’ll get there.
It will be so worth it!

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for being active in our lives.
Show us how not to waste our lives
but build up hope around us.
Equip us to walk and trust steadily.
Enable us to hope unswervingly.
Empower us to love extravagantly.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you spend your time while waiting for the second coming of Jesus? How do you dress up in hope, faith and love?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you claim the promises of God on your way to heaven!

This post is refurbished from 2011. Image courtesy of Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with #InspireMeMonday.