Children have a gift for asking questions adults have learned to keep to themselves. On a long drive, they ask the question every parent knows is coming: “Are we there yet?”
If we are honest, many Christians ask Jesus a similar question: When are You coming? When will You make everything right? When will pain, sickness, injustice, and death finally end?
Those are understandable questions. Scripture gives us every reason to look forward to Christ’s return. But Jesus never told us to calculate the date, decode every headline, or live in fear of what might happen next. He told us to stay awake and be ready:
“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” — Matthew 24:44 (ESV)
Jesus does not tell us to figure out when. He tells us to decide how we will live until then.
That is a huge difference.
Readiness Is a Daily Choice
Imagine a High School version of yourself. Waking up ten minutes before school begins. The homework is unfinished. The backpack is empty. The Chromebook is dead. The shoes have disappeared into whatever mysterious dimension regularly swallows children’s belongings.
The problem is not that school arrived unexpectedly. The problem is that we postponed preparation.
We can approach our spiritual lives the same way. We tell ourselves:
I’ll follow Jesus seriously someday.
I’ll serve when life settles down.
I’ll obey when it becomes more convenient.
I’ll deal with that sin eventually.
I’ll get right with God later.
But Jesus’ invitation is not to become ready at the last possible moment. It is to live ready today.
What does that look like? It can be summarized in three simple practices.
Follow Jesus Every Day
Paul described the Thessalonian believers as people who had turned from idols, served the living God, and waited for His Son from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10). Their waiting was not passive. It changed the way they lived.
Following Jesus is not something we reserve for Sunday morning. It continues on Monday at work, at home, online, and—Lord help us—in traffic on I-94.
Everyday discipleship often looks remarkably ordinary:
Telling the truth when dishonesty would be easier.
Obeying God when no one else is watching.
Apologizing when we have been wrong.
Opening Scripture when we would rather scroll.
Praying before anxiety is allowed to run the meeting.
Choosing the way of Jesus over the impulse of the moment.
We do not brush our teeth once and assume we are set for life. Healthy habits create healthy lives. The same is true spiritually. Prayer is not once. Scripture is not once. Obedience is not once. Following Jesus is a daily decision.
2. Love People Every Day
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9–10, Paul commended the church for its love and then urged them to love “more and more.” Apparently, love is one subject from which Christians never graduate.
We sometimes imagine that loving people requires a dramatic act. Most of the time, it simply means noticing the person everyone else walks past.
It may mean including the child sitting alone, checking on a struggling neighbor, encouraging a discouraged coworker, serving when it would be easier to leave, forgiving someone who hurt us, inviting a friend to church, or making room at our table.
Love is not merely a feeling we carry. It is a decision that becomes visible.
One of the greatest ways we can love someone is by helping them meet Jesus. Christ has extended the invitation, “Come, follow Me,” and He has entrusted us with sharing that invitation. Readiness does not cause us to withdraw from the world. It sends us into the world with the hope of the gospel.
3. Shine Your Light Every Day
Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” — Matthew 5:14 (ESV)
Light matters most when the surroundings are dark. A flashlight contributes very little at noon, but even a small beam changes a dark room.
Jesus did not say only pastors, missionaries, adults, experts, or especially polished Christians are the light. He said, “You are the light.” That includes every believer—from the youngest child to the oldest saint.
Children are not too young for God to use, and adults never reach a spiritual retirement age. As long as God gives us breath, He gives us purpose. Our schools, homes, workplaces, teams, and neighborhoods are all places where His light can shine through our words and actions.
We do not shine because we are perfect. We shine because Jesus lives in us. When we fail, we confess it. When we hurt someone, we apologize. When we sin, we return to the grace of Christ. Even our humility and repentance can point people toward Him.
Your After-Sunday Challenge
This week, do not merely think about whether you are ready for Jesus to return. Practice readiness.
Follow: Identify one area in which you have delayed obedience, and take the next faithful step today.
Love: Perform one unexpected act of kindness for someone who may be overlooked.
Shine: Be intentional about letting your faith become visible through courage, generosity, truth, or compassion.
We do not know whether Jesus will return tomorrow, next year, or long after our lifetime. But whenever He comes, may He find us doing exactly what He called us to do:
Following Him.
Loving people.
Shining His light.
Until He comes, let’s live ready today.