I don’t like being late or caught off-guard. My preference is to be on time, to be prepared and ready. In other words, I like to live ready. Ready for whatever may come my way during the day.
In Africa, for example, water can be cut at any given moment as can the electricity. I’ve learned from living here that it’s best not to leave dishes in the sink or lots of dirty clothes in the hamper. Wash the dishes, wash the clothes because there’s no guarantee of a steady supply of utilities.
But I have learned to temper my tendencies of pressuring everyone to be like me. Jamie (hubs) likes to say, “Not everyone needs to be at the airport 10 hours early.”
He exaggerates to make a point. Point taken.
Live ready and prepare for the exam
No, we don’t have to put ourselves under stress to be ready. But we should live in readiness.
Be dressed in readiness, and keep you lamps lit.
Luke 12:35 (NASB)
My daughter is coming to the end of her high school days; she only has three more exams to take. What I’ve noticed about her this year especially is that she has lived in readiness for any quiz/test/exam that might come her way. She’s spent the year making sure she’s ready and her exam grades are a testament to her efforts.
She has been sure to wash the dishes.
This is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 12. He’s telling us to be ready, to live in an attitude of readiness. I don’t know if that’s grammatically correct but you get the gist.
God works on His timetable, not ours. While it may seem that God is often late, He never is. He knows when something needs attention and when the time is right, He takes care of it.
In our microwave-instant-home delivery lifestyle, where we can order things when we want them, it can be difficult to transition to living in readiness for God to move. Why is He so slow? Why didn’t He warn me? Why?
So many things are at play in this life that we are unaware of. Perhaps the promotion hasn’t come because there’s a situation in that promotion that God is protecting you from. Maybe you were delayed in line at the grocery store because there’s someone God wanted you to meet.
Our Father is always looking out for us, He’s never keeping good from us. He’s looking out for our good.
Just be ready, live ready, because when He shows up, He shows off.
Now go wash the dishes, don’t leave them in the sink all day.
