Stay Ready

"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44

I’ll never forget the time my mom and dad went away for a quick two-day vacation and left me in charge of the house. They told me to keep it clean and make sure everything looked just like it did when they left. I was an only child, so the whole house was on me. I knew when they were supposed to be back, so I figured I could wait until the last minute to clean things up. What I didn’t know was they were going to come back early. Let’s just say my mom didn’t exactly applaud my decision-making.

That moment taught me something. A lesson I wish I would have learned before it happened. If I had just kept the house in order, I wouldn’t have had to scramble when they came home. And more importantly, I wouldn’t have had to deal with the consequences of getting caught unprepared.

There are a lot of people living that same way when it comes to their relationship with God. Thinking they’ve got time. Thinking they’ll get serious later. Thinking they’ll get their life together once they’ve had a little more fun or gotten through a few more phases. But Jesus is clear. He’s coming back. And He’s not sending us a calendar invite. You will not get a heads-up. If you wait until He shows up to get your heart right, it’s already too late.

The truth is, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Living for God today is always better than trying to scramble tomorrow. I’m not saying you have to be perfect. I’m saying your heart needs to be surrendered. You need to be walking with Him daily. Not occasionally. Not when it’s convenient. Not once you’ve “lived your life.” Now.

The call of Jesus is to be ready. Not just for His return, but for everything He wants to do in and through your life right now. And if you stay ready, you will never be caught off guard. You’ll live with peace, with purpose, and with a heart that knows it’s exactly where it’s supposed to be.