. . . looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Think back on a time you watched out the window of your home, waiting for a guest to arrive. Many children do this when their parents tell them someone is coming over for dinner. As the guest pulls up to the driveway, little eyes peer out the window as they wait to greet their guests. There are many important aspects of walking with Christ, but one we may neglect is anticipation for His return. We often live so distracted by the day-to-day that we forget that Christ’s return is imminent and that we should always be ready for it.

Paul encouraged Titus that to understand the gospel completely includes looking forward to the hope that is to come. Instead of living for the pleasures of today, we prepare for the eternity that growing nearer each day. Instead of investing all we in making a comfortable life, we look for how we can make eternal investments in others. In Philippians 3:14-15, Paul described his eternal perspective, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well.”

This eternal perspective is not just for the spiritually elite—pastors, missionaries, and so on. Understanding Christ’s return helps us feel the urgency that the time to live for Him is now. If you are in Christ, the invitation to press on toward this eternal prize is for you. God has placed you in your time, place, and context to make an eternal impact for His glory. It is in this surrender and investing in the eternal that we prepare for and anticipate His return.

• Are you ready for Christ’s return? Why or why not?
• How can you grow in anticipation of Christ’s return?
• Pray and ask God to help you grow in eagerness and anticipation of His return.