Joel M Bradshaw

35“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes…40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”–Luke 12

It’s kind of mind-blowing that Jesus spoke of his second coming before his first coming was even over and for his disciples to be ready for his future return even before he had died on the cross.

Jesus expects his disciples to be alert, waiting, awake, and ready. Here are two words that describe attitudes that are not ready for Jesus. If either describe you, then you have some work to do.

1. DISTRACTED. This person is unfocused. They tell themselves they will eventually shift into first gear, but neutral requires no intentionality. In my journey with depression, my natural state has been to distract myself for otherwise I would have had to face myself and the stories I maintained. Our phones are a great distraction. Anything that keeps you from being focused on the right things is a distracting influence in your life.
2. DIVIDED. This person is very focused–just on the wrong things. You most likely are divided about things that distract you. If you have lost fellowship or influence with someone because of something lesser than Jesus, then you are divided. This includes things like politics and sports, places were we retreat into our tribalistic tendencies. Our world loves to divide us and get us upset at each other. It makes for interesting news stories and grand narratives. Don’t buy into it. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And that main thing is Jesus.–JMB