What Will You Do the Day After?
Written by Erin Richer
Jesus told the disciples at least three times exactly what was about to happen to Him. It was clear He wanted to prepare them. One of the things that baffles me most about His predictions of His death is the disciples apparent lack of interest. They asked questions about almost everything else Jesus taught, staying late into the evening after the crowds dispersed to follow up on His confusing parables. However, regarding the impending crucifixion they were afraid to ask for more details.
Jesus also spent a surprising amount of time telling them what to expect before He came back to rule. As it turns out, those nuggets were for us (and I would have very much appreciated some more questions regarding all of that on my behalf, Peter, thank you very much).
The point is that Jesus obviously wanted our hearts to be prepared for upcoming trials and suffering, but He also wanted us to know the end of the story so when things get insanely dark, we will not despair. He goes beyond preparing us. He provides a beautiful picture of what’s on the other side.
None of what we’re experiencing right now should come as a surprise to us—suffering, angst, division, and nations rising against nations. God told us in advance that everything we’re experiencing would happen, and just as the Jews were anxiously awaiting the Messiah to save them from their oppressive government, right here and right now, we should be waiting for our King. For those of us indwelled by God’s Spirit, we should be forcing our eyes to the heavens, waiting for our King’s return with the same intensity as those who shouted “Hosanna” throughout the triumphal entry, “God, come save us!” But waiting isn’t passive in God’s Kingdom. In fact, take a closer look at this:
I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart be courageous.
Wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:13-14)
Do you know what I love about this verse? The words “let your heart be courageous,” can be translated, “let your heart be made obstinate.” I love that! Let your heart refuse let go of hope or its course of action, regardless of any attempt to persuade you to do so. Wait with an obstinate heart for the hope of the Lord’s coming.
Tomorrow, the election will captivate the world. All eyes will be on America. As believers, let’s be forward thinking. If we already know today that half of our country will be feeling intense emotions like anger, fear, disgust, and distrust once the results are announced, how might we be the light of Christ? No matter the outcome, let’s determine to enter into these next weeks with our flag poles firmly planted in the Kingdom of Heaven where our citizenship truly lies (Philippians 3:20). And while we wait expectantly for our King to return, let’s put our own feelings aside and consider our neighbors (Mark 12:31) before ourselves. What will we do the day after the election? Regardless of who wins or loses, regardless of how we cast our earthly ballot…can we determine today, Monday, what we will do tomorrow and each day until our Jesus comes to rule? Perhaps commit right now to several intentional and tangible acts of love toward a neighbor, maybe especially, someone you know voted differently than you.
Let us take courage. God’s plan cannot be thwarted by any president, king, court, or vote. In fact, God uses them all to fulfill the ultimate plan for which we’re waiting. As His image bearers, we must keep our gaze fixed on Him. He promised things were going to get ugly, that nations would rise against nations. Let’s stay in lock-step with the Holy Spirit so that what would ooze out of us in the midst of anger and hate would be love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All to the glory of God.
In a world dominated by social media, Christians are under a microscope like never before. We’ve put ourselves out there to be criticized by others and looked at with scrutiny, but on the other hand, this could be the greatest opportunity to show Christ’s love.