Are We Eagerly Awaiting His Return?

As I was doing my morning study, a verse stood out to me.


2 Peter 3:14

"Therefore, dear friends, with this to look forward to, make every effort to have him find you at peace, without spiritual stains or blemishes."

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I must have read this verse at least 15 times over the past week, but as I read it again this morning, God brought this verse to light to me in a way I never had thought of it before.  The verse made me think, are we really eagerly awaiting His return?  The verse takes me back to when I took the SAT and ACT when preparing for college.  The test were timed and often times I found myself with not enough time to answer all the questions to my likening.  I would become flustered when I saw I only had a couple of minutes left for a particular section.  When time was up, anxiety would overcome my body as I asked myself, did I do my best?  Was I sure that was the right answer?  I can truly say I was never at peace with the SAT and ACT until my scores came in.

Likewise, I think, if we are truly honest with ourselves, most of us are not eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ.  Many of us have become complacent in our lives and fallen into a routine that does not honor God at every turn.  I talk with people all the time that say, "I'm a Christian, but I'm not in a hurry to share my faith with my friends because I first have to build up enough trust in the relationship.  Besides, Christ hasn't returned to the earth in almost 2000 years, what's another day?"  

The truth of the matter is that if we knew Christ was coming back tomorrow, people would start panicking.  Friends that we knew weren't Christians we would be pleading with them to receive salvation.  People we have wronged in the past would come to our minds and we would want to ask for forgiveness.  Pictures of people all over the world would pop up in our minds all day.

God however tells us that the second coming will come like a thief in the night.  We will never know when that day comes.  It might be today, it might be tomorrow, or it might be in another 100 years.  Each day that is given, is another offer of salvation to non-believers around the world.  Are we taking advantage of each opportunity we are given to share the gift God has given you and me?  Only then, I feel, can we eagerly await His return.