“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce all ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Titus 2:11-15 (ESV)

There is a well-known and popular phrase “hope for a better tomorrow” that everyone with a desire for life longs to be true. Having a hope that things will get better is what keeps us going. Without that hope there can only be despair. For those who have Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, there is a hope that is greater than any hope found in this life. That hope is in the return of Christ.

This hope requires a time of waiting. The length of time to wait is unknown. The return of Christ for His own could be the very moment you are reading these words or it could be centuries from now. What makes the return of Christ to be the blessed hope is the very expectation that it could happen today. If the child of God lives each day with the thought that Jesus is coming today, there will be evidence of that.

This evidence is seen in how we live our lives while we are waiting. It will be a life of denying ungodliness and worldly passions, reflecting the life of our Savior. This can only be genuinely done through the power of God’s Spirit in us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will have no appetite for worldly pleasures. If we truly believe that Jesus’ return can happen today, we will be living differently than those who think they have plenty of time.

In Matthew 24:45-51, Jesus gave his disciples a contrast between the actions of the good servant expecting his master to return any moment and the wicked servant with no thought of his master’s return. The good servant was busy doing the will of his master, while the wicked servant was busy fulfilling his own pleasures. The same actions should be true for Christians who are longing and expecting the soon return of Jesus. Jesus wants us to be making the most of each day to give the good news of salvation to those we know and to be in prayer for them to come to the Lord.

This week, if you are a Christian, begin to hope in the soon return of Christ and cause that hope to make a change in the way you live. When time is short, what is most precious becomes a priority. Following the Holy Spirit who leads you to obey God’s Word should be your priority because Jesus could return today.