In just a few weeks, Cindy and I will celebrate forty-two years of marriage. Over that time, we have experienced times of being apart. This was due to my need to travel for ministry responsibilities. Also, as our parents aged, we would need to travel to Michigan independently to visit or assist with their care. Although I often enjoyed the events that took me away from her, I never liked the separation. In each of those occurrences, one thing was always true, I looked forward to the moment when we would be back together.
This is a natural response. In a genuine loving relationship, we want to spend time together and do not want to have those times of separation. It has been said that “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” I’m not sure this is true. For me, distance simply makes the heart grow lonely.
What does this have to do with being a man who is pursuing a relationship with God. I am not going to discuss how much you miss your spouse when you are apart. But I do want to discuss how much we long to be together with one we are called to love. How much are we looking forward to the time when Jesus returns to earth to claim his church for eternity?
As men who have chosen to commit our lives to following Christ, this is the ultimate reward. When Jesus ascended to the Father, he promised there would be a moment in time when he would return to reclaim those he has redeemed. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
There is no greater hope to which we can cling. To be in the presence of God for all eternity is something Christ guaranteed for all who have experienced the true redemption of God. Jesus affirmed this truth when he walked out of the tomb. God has done his part to make this reunion with Christ possible. For you and me, we need to decide how important this day will be for us.
Our role is to be watching for this day and to be prepared for when it happens. Our preparation begins with a simple act of faith – a moment of acceptance of the gift of salvation purchased through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. We continue to prepare for that moment as we grow in grace. This is the process of conforming our life to the image of Christ. As we do this, we wait in anticipation.
Here is a good test of the depth of our love and devotion to our Lord? How often do we think about the day of his return? Do we desire that day to come? I have encountered people who claim to walk with Christ but live in fear of the “end times”! This doesn’t fit. When we love someone deeply, we desire to be with them. We do have God’s presence in us through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit. But this gift is only meant to tide us over until we are reunited with Jesus face to face. That is our goal.
When we truly desire to be united with Christ, it transforms how we view this life. There is no longer any room for fear of what this world can do to us. There is no need for discouragement over circumstances and setbacks. When we grasp the truth of an eternity with Jesus, we can face the issues of this life with the hope that they are only short-term and the next and eternal phase of our existence will more than compensate for the struggle we endure. Keep watching.