The sign on the door of the sandwich store said Santa would be there at five. It was four. Inside was a five-year-old little boy and he was hyped. Considering there was yet an hour to go we could only imagine that he would be climbing the walls by five. It was great fun watching him as I remembered being five. The thought crossed my mind, “Wouldn’t it be grand if we were that excited about the second coming of Jesus.” Then I got realistic and thought, “No. We would be nervous wrecks from the continual adrenaline flow.”
God isn’t looking for an overly excited group of children. Instead He needs mature, responsible adults living socially productive lives. He needs us to be good neighbors, good employees, good parents and people that make the world a better place because we are here. In Luke 19 Jesus told about a man about to leave on a long journey, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.’” As laudable as it might seem selling one’s possessions or leaving one’s crop unharvested isn’t the wisest course of action.
The finest evangelistic endeavor isn’t the occasional big thrust but is instead being every day honest, caring, responsible citizens every community needs. Instead of getting exciting about every tragedy that happens somewhere in the world let’s rejoice that God wants to make us as much like Himself now, here, where we live. Now that is exciting.
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 23, 2013
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org