I missed my wife

This past summer my wife went to Spain for work for three weeks. During that same time, I went to Canada for a good friend's wedding. It was the first time we had been apart for any length of time since we got married.

And it was tough.

Don’t get me wrong, we both thoroughly enjoyed our trips, but the fact that my wife was halfway around the world, and there was almost nothing I could do to see her sooner was not easy.

The truth is, we missed each other, and longed to see each other again. 

This past week I was reading in Hebrews and a verse stuck out to me. Hebrews 9:28:

Eagerly →  1. Used to emphasize a strong desire to do or have something.

                   2. In a keenly expectant or interested manner.

Eagerly awaiting Christ?

Christ is coming back to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. But the more I thought about it, the more I was forced to ask myself – how eager am I for Christ’s return? Do I feel anything like I felt when longing to see my wife again?

Sure, as a good Christian I profess that I am looking forward to his return, but deep down – well, I still have things to accomplish in this life. I have not had kids, made an impact with my career, bought a house, travelled the world, told all my friends about Christ. I am not ready for this life to be over.

Furthermore, sometimes my ‘eager’ expectation of Christ's return is closer to dreading. The questions swirl:

1. Did I live a good life?

2. Did I tell enough people about Jesus?

3. What about all the people who have not yet heard?

I am scared to be judged by God. Scared that despite Christ's blood, I will come up wanting. That I will be like those in 1 Corinthians 3:15, whose foundation is burned, who escape, but only just barely.

So eagerly waiting for his return? Sometimes, not so much.

What has gone wrong?

How can I long for Christ the way the New Testament writers talk about?

When I consider these questions, three bible verses pop into my head. 

The first is Philippians 3:8

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

Paul, the writer of this book, writes with such extreme conviction, that to him Christ is everything. Everything is a loss compared with Christ.

The second John 12:25:

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

This time it is Jesus himself telling us that to love this life is to lose it. That God himself must be so valuable to us, that in comparison we “hate this life.” 

The last verse I believe offers the remedy that we are seeking:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31). 

I longed for my wife because of my deep love for her. But without a deep love for Christ, there is no longing for his return. There is no deep sense of missing the one whom you love, there is no eager expectation for his return.

What it means for us

And what does it mean to love Christ? Well, just like a romantic relationship it means spending quality time together, sacrificially serving the other person, and pouring out your deepest thoughts and emotions. 

If we fail to do this, then we will fail to Love Christ, and fail to long for him.

My prayer for you, is that if you are not eagerly waiting for Christ’s return, you would join me in learning how to love him deeply – “That everything would be counted as a loss, compared with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ”

Blessings,

Aaron

Video of the Day

Everyday we will include the short of the day, related to the topic of the newsletter. Today: What does the name Theophilus even mean?