Actively Waiting

Most of us don’t enjoy waiting; it feels like a boring, passive exercise. Just the word “waiting” might stir up images of sitting in a doctor’s office with nothing to do. Or maybe it feels like the endless days before summer vacation, staring out the window or watching the clock. Waiting seems like a non-activity.As Christians, we wait for many things. We wait for God’s perfect timing and for His promises to be fulfilled. Most of all, we are waiting for the return of Jesus. But this waiting is not a passive, sitting-on-our-hands kind of waiting, whiling away the time until He appears. In Luke 12, Jesus told a parable about servants waiting for their master to return home. Like these servants, we are called to be “dressed for service” (verse 35), actively serving God as faithful and wise managers who God has left in charge of caring for His creation (verse 42).Christ’s return is a sure thing, and as we look forward to it with hope, there is much for us to do in His service until He comes. God calls us to share in His joy by being part of the good things He is doing. We can engage in good works (which usually look like helping others), in prayer, and in sharing the gospel—which is the good news about Jesus. And we don’t do these things in our own strength; rather, we rely on the Holy Spirit and work together with fellow Christians. We are called to see ourselves as servants until our Master returns so that He will find us actively working for Him.Notice the special promises that come with this active waiting: Jesus says, “The servants who are ready and waiting for his [the master’s] return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” (verse 37). The God of the universe reverses the roles of master and servants. Jesus showed this on the night before He went to the cross, when He took the position of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet. Then He told them to serve one another in the same way and to love each other as He had loved them. When Jesus returns, He will reward His faithful followers who loved well. What an honor for His people! Jesus will put these faithful servants “in charge of all he owns” (verse 44). In the life to come, He will give greater responsibility to those who have served Him in this world. So let us wait actively as we rest in this sure hope: Christ is coming again! • Laura N. Sweet• How might remembering the way Jesus has lovingly served us help us to lovingly serve one another? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 13:1-17, 34-35 and Philippians 2:1-13.)“The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” Luke 12:37a (NLT)

Read Verses:

Luke.12.32-Luke.12.46