"Do You Have a 'Wait' Problem?"

What is the secret to living a balanced and fruitful life while waiting for Christ's imminent return?

Good question, and in the Book of 2 Thessalonians, Paul addresses this very issue. Apparently, a certain number in the community had decided to stop working, kick back and wait. And why shouldn't they? If Jesus is already on His way, why bother to continue working? What's the point of sowing if we won't be around to reap? Paul admonished them with these words: "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

From the moment Jesus was taken up in Acts 1:10 until now, every generation of believers has faced the balancing act of how to live with the possibility of Christ's immediate return. In the Book of Romans, Paul says, "For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:22-25).

Hope is a constant expectation of an unseen reality. We are saved by faith, but our hope is in the return of Christ in all His glory. But we can't just sit around and wait; we're expected to persevere in doing good and not grow weary. In other words, we should be busy waiting (doing good) and not allow our eager expectation to become a "wait" problem.

A wise man once said: "Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world."--Blaise Pascal

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