Scripture of the day
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
Before I was a Christian, I had the mentality of, "Live and Let Live". Meaning, I'll do whatever I want and you do what you want, just don't hurt me or my family.
I was raised knowing right from wrong but never really felt convicted if I lurked near doing something bad. And I knew there was bad people around but I was more concerned about myself than worrying about the state of the world.
Fast forward to today, and things are totally different. Having the Holy Spirit in my life uncovered my eyes to sin. Not just my sins but the sins of everyone. Now when I sin, I feel the guilt of nailing Jesus to the cross to forgive my sins again and again and again. It weighs heavy on my heart.
Not only that, when I see the evils of this world and they appear be running rampant these days, my head wants to explode with frustration. I want it all to end.
I pray for God's Kingdom to come, for it to be all over, to get a new body, to live in a place without sin. But nothing happens. The world keeps getting darker, the temptations keep getting harder and the distractions keep on getting stronger.
It may, at times, feel that God is being slow about his promise but the fact is, He does not want anyone to perish. He loves everyone and wants to give people time to repent of their sins and come to Him. He wants no one destroyed.
So why should we wait as the world is getting worse? Why does God not come now when sin is ablaze on earth? Because even in this darkest hour, there are people coming to Jesus.
There are those who have hit rock bottom to realize that there is more to life than themselves. They now see their sin in their lives and are turning away from it so they can be right with God.
As Christians, we must perservere to the end. We must also remember the time when we were sinners and we did not know God. Now that we know Him our senses have been heightened to sin. We can see it clearer than ever before.
We need to have the patience God has to work with people who are struggling in sin. We need to have the love of Jesus to reach out and forgive others. Let us not forget our own sins and struggles and how Jesus rescued us.
It's easy to give up in frustration or defeat. But we must fight the good fight until the end. We must win hearts over to Jesus through love.
God's promise is a promise. Jesus will return and we must be living a life pleasing to Him when He does. Do we care more about our lives than the salvation of others? Our problems as Christians pale in comparison to those who do not know Christ. Let us remember what our mission is and go out and do it.
Heavenly Father, thank you that you are faithful in your promises. I wait with a fearful but eager heart for your return. Until that great and glorious day, may I be a faithful servant and be ready to share the Good News through love and kindness at every opportunity. Give me the strength and protection to endure these wicked days. Let me be a beacon of light in the darkness.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
