(unmarked journal entry – presumably matthew 25)

we always want to know when the end is coming.

when will it all be over? when do i actually need to start living right so i can make it in under the line?

but if you are purposefully waiting until the last minute, what does that say about your heart? God knows when we are sincere and when we are trying to pull a fast one. there’s no mystery to Him when it comes to our motivations and our inner thoughts.

so, we must do as Jesus says, and be vigilant. we must be prepared at all times. not for the sake of being seen, but because the vigilant man is actually passionate about what is going on. legitimate passion for the God-centered life we’re supposed to pursue will always produce genuine results. and those motives will ring out loud and clear in the process.

so, whenever the end rolls around, we will be prepared if we are being passionate about living a life that reflects a ‘this could be my last chance’ attitude rather than purposeful sloth.

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i also want to point out that there are many other attitudes to be wary of when it comes to this line of thought. it’s not just waiting till the last minute that is ill-founded, but also relying on just being passionate. zeal and fervor are nice, if they are grounded in giving glory to God, and not ourselves. the pharisees in Jesus’ day were very passionate about their line of thought, but they were also off base. it is obvious in our world today, especially post 9/11, that there are a lot of passionate people in our world that are dangerously passionate, and in a bad way.

so, vigilance, when accompanied by humility and a desire to see God glorified, is a key component in a Christian’s life. but it does not stand alone as the standard of a life well lived. vigilant people must also carry the message that led to their being vigilant in the first place. it does no good to watch, if no one else knows what you are watching for…

vigilance can also come across as being stand-off-ish when pride steps in, as if you are the bearer of some privledged information that others are not privy to…we must continue to bear the love we were shown, and the desire to share what we know and what we have received.

there are many other aspects of the Christian life that vigilance ties into, but we just need to understand that it is a key component and not the only component. our vigilance alone will not save us, the saving work has already been accomplished by God. it is simply a part of who we must become as we follow along behind our Lord and Savior, Jesus.