We Must Persevere

These days so many Christians are expressing the desire to go "home." I, too, long to go home to be with our Heavenly Father, far away from all the sorrows and tribulation of this world. It's perfectly natural for Christians to have this longing, but there's something about this that worries me. I see far too many good Christians going a little overboard with this longing, to the point they have totally "withdrawn from society" and almost from the land of the living.

It's true, as we look around at what's happening in the world, things seem to be deteriorating at a rapid rate. All the signs Jesus told us to watch for appear to be here, and we're convinced the "labor pains" are getting closer. More and more Christians are exclaiming, "Jesus, take us home!" We know from the Bible we are not citizens of the world, but citizens of the Most High, and that's where we long to be.

I watch as an increasing number of churches, people, and Christian organizations seem to be building little walls around themselves. Apparently, they believe they are protecting themselves from the evil world, as they wait for Jesus to arrive at any moment to carry them all away. As they wait, some are diligently doing Bible studies, watching the news, and being faithful Watchers of the Signs. I'm sure they feel they are preparing themselves for His coming, according to His Word, which tells us to always be on watch. This is what they should be doing, right?

I disagree. While it's true we are to be watchful, Jesus never said to stop living or to stop participating in life. The lives we were all given have a purpose, and we are to do all we can to fulfill that purpose. We can't just build little walls around ourselves, hiding from the big bad world, until Jesus appears to deliver us. He may have said we are in the world, but not of it, but the fact of the matter is, while we're in it, it's our home until He decides it's not any more. One of our purposes here is to be an example to the lost, and to let them know of the gift of salvation Jesus offers to them. How can we do that if we're shut up in our churches or houses, just waiting for it all to end?

I think wasting even one moment of our lives here is sinful. None of us is that perfect that we can determine, on our own, that we have done enough and now it's time to just hunker down and wait to go home. Every moment of our time here should be spent serving God to the fullest, which includes being willing to "lay down our lives" for our fellow man. We can't just quit.

Even though the world out there might be getting a little scary, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, push on, and finish the race. We must persevere.