Growing up I do not remember anyone using the word college. I went to school each day, I came home and did my homework (reluctantly and with great arguments), but to hear my dad or my grandparents say anything to me about college just did not happen. My aunts may have mentioned it a time or two, as they were both successfully educated through college or the Air Force. But college to me was never going to happen. Because even if I entertained that idea for a time, there was a huge financial fact that remained very clear: there was no money for it. At all. No college fund waited for me after high school.
Because I had no expectation of going to college, I also had no desire for middle or high school. What was it all for? I was never going to use the education I was receiving; except maybe a little math I would need to run the register at the McDonald’s in my town.
When there are no expectations, there is little desire to succeed or excel at something. This is a very dangerous place to live. There are far too many individuals on earth right now who have zero expectations for eternity.
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”
Revelation 22:12
This is not just a warning; this is the promise. Jesus is coming back for us, but if we do not live in expectation of his return, we lose the whole message of the gospel.
When you set aside time for Jesus every day, it is not because you want to check off a list of activities that causes you to be more faithful to God. It is because you know something that a lot of people do not know: He is coming back.
You can expect that God will be true to His Word because He has always come through when He said He would. All the way back to Abraham, Egypt, and even Babylon. Jesus always comes through on His Word.
Living in expectation of Jesus’ return has a great deal of responsibility. You are responsible for living lives that reflect your expectation. But if you are not careful, you will be so focused on your responsibilities that you will forget to live in a relationship with God and those around you.
There are several ways you can live in expectation without allowing your lists to drive you each day.
Create Space in Your Day for Christ
We all need Jesus. Every day. There is not a day we live on Earth that Jesus is not necessary for our survival. It is sad to hear how many Christians still do not make time to talk to Him, listen to Him, or read His Word.
You do not have to make a list in order to make time for Jesus. Do something simple, like tune your radio to Christian worship or a Christian podcast on your way to work. Take a few minutes on your lunch break to read a Bible app. Sit for a few minutes in silence and offer up a simple prayer of thanksgiving to God for all He has given you and done for you in the past and ask for Him to remain in you for your future. It does not have to be a large spectacle. Just a simple acknowledgment of His presence in your life each day.
When we create space for Jesus in our daily life, we make room for Him to do things in our lives for God’s glory. This is how we continue to receive a testimony of God’s faithfulness throughout our lives.
Create Space for Relationships
If you turn your attention to creating relationships with others rather than checking a box on your list, you do the work that Jesus did while He was here. Jesus was all about creating relationships with others around Him. He sat at dinner tables, and inside people’s homes. He walked with others and chatted with them about His Father. He had mercy on those with ailments, and He healed and blessed them. Jesus was into relationships as much as He was into God’s glory.
You can learn to do the same for others. This can look like a million different things. Maybe you create space inside your home for a small group. Maybe you take a few extra minutes at the end of a church service to talk to people. Maybe you take a group of people and serve at a local soup kitchen. Or maybe you mentor a younger woman and help her find her way to faith by listening and being there for her.
Whatever you decide to do if you do it with Jesus as the center focus, you cannot go wrong. Creating space for relationships will come naturally to you as you practice it more and more.
Create Space for Growth
As you live and create space for relationships and Jesus in your day, you will notice changes in your attitude and behavior. You will want to cultivate those changes, and allow them to press down into your heart so that they are ingrained in who you are and who you are becoming. Allow growth and see just where the Lord takes you as you walk with Him, talk to Him, and live for Him. It is all relevant.
The more you make time to acknowledge Christ in your daily lives and your relationships the more you become like Christ. Your expectations of Christ will grow as you create space for Him.
The funny thing about God is He has a most awesome sense of humor. Just because no one ever spoke to me about college does not mean I did not go. I found my way to many community colleges and universities in my adult life. I have yet to graduate from college, but I have gone enough to know that nothing can compare to being a more educated human being. When you let God write your story you can expect Him to throw in a few curveballs and pit stops along the way. But that is what makes life with Christ that much more interesting.