Judgement Day

At this time last year, I was not on a bus to any ancient site, I was not wandering through the old city immersed in culture and knowledge. Instead, I was comfortably studying for finals inside the good old JC. Anyone who's in college or remembers what it was like in college can recall the anxiety and anticipation of finals. Sometimes teetering between two grades, desperate to make up the difference in that final test. At least in my generation, it seems pretty standard to coast through the semester and then spend the nights before the test cramming and memorizing before that day of judgment. 

But what about the real day of judgement? How are you preparing for the day you will stand accountable before the Lord and be judged? Like the parable of the ten virgins, we are taught that we must always be prepared for the glorious day of the Lord. The trouble is, unlike finals, we do not know when Christ will come again to reign on the Earth. We do not know when we will stand before God on judgement day. 

We cannot cram the night before. We cannot coast through life being apathetic towards God and his commandments. Doing is not being prepared. We must constantly be striving to become more perfected in Christ. We must always be working to be better, stronger, purer if we expect to stand confident before God. 

Some people get discouraged at the thought of falling short. But, we are not asked to be perfect. We cannot become perfect in this life. If we could then Christ and all he suffered and did for us would be unnecessary. The key to this life is to try. Day by day, try. Try a little harder to be a little better. I would admonish you to pick something that you can do to be a little better and help prepare you for the day you will stand in the presence of God. For me, I will be a little kinder, serve a little more, and judge a little less.