Are You Living in Anticipation?

Make your preparations before the moment arrives.

By Karen Barrett

Staring at my calendar in disbelief, I repeated to myself, “Any day now?” My due date was still about five weeks away, but now the person who would deliver our baby was telling me to prepare for an imminent arrival!

The relaxed pace of “getting ready for baby” shifted abruptly into high gear around our house. A list of things to do was posted on the refrigerator, and one by one my husband and I checked off the items. The bassinette got that fresh coat of paint it had been waiting for, I packed my suitcase with things baby and I would need, made arrangements at work, put a few casseroles in the freezer, and finished the little outfit I had been making to bring the baby home in.

Each day when my husband left for work, I’d check to be sure I had a phone number where he could be reached “just in case . . .” As we discussed upcoming activities and plans, we’d preface our comments with the phrase, “If the baby hasn’t come, we’ll . . .” Countless times I asked myself, “What if it were today? Is everything ready?” It seemed like nothing else really mattered.

Anticipation. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? If you’re a Christian, there is one upcoming event that should inspire you with anticipation like nothing else—the soon return of Christ to this earth. Take an inventory. Is Christ’s return the focus of your life? How often does the thought of it cross your mind? Do your actions of today and plans for tomorrow revolve around that tremendous event?

When my husband and I first learned that a baby was on the way, we began to prepare ourselves. We signed up for childbirth classes and watched films on birth and child rearing. We did exercises and practiced breathing techniques. We read books and talked to others who had been through the experience. We did everything we could to be sure that we were ready for this event.

If we’re going to be ready for Christ’s return, personal preparation isn’t optional—it’s absolutely imperative! Jesus instructed His disciples, “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). In order to be ready, we must wholly commit our lives to God, and then daily live in a manner pleasing to Him. We must study what we need to do to prepare ourselves, and with God’s help follow through on what we learn. We must exercise godly attributes and practice Christian behavior. We must, if at all possible, fellowship with others who have also been making spiritual preparation. In short, we do everything we can to be sure we are completely ready for this event that is going to transform our lives.

My husband and I didn’t know the exact moment our baby would arrive, but the indications were that the day couldn’t be far off. And one thing we did know for sure—that day would come, no matter how long the wait might seem. Jesus says that no man knows the day or the hour of His return, but the Bible tells us of many events and signs in the world that will immediately precede His coming. They have happened. So we must conclude that the day of His return cannot be far off. And no matter how long the wait might seem, one day He is going to come!

Exactly six weeks after we were told to be ready at a moment’s notice, our beautiful little daughter arrived. Those six weeks seemed to last forever, but my husband and I learned what real anticipation is all about. We learned what it means to be truly ready.

If you knew that Jesus was coming exactly six weeks from today, what would you do to make sure you were ready? Make those preparations today! He might come in six weeks. But it could be in six hours . . . or it could be in six minutes.

Karen Barrett is manager of the Apostolic Faith Headquarters Office.