The Wake-Up Call

"But the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers." - 1 Peter 4:7 (NKJV)

I was probably eight or nine years old when the reality of eternity first gripped my heart. That Sunday night, after getting in trouble during children's ministry, I found myself sitting with my parents as they showed "A Thief in the Night"—one of those rapture movies similar to the modern "Left Behind" series.

As I watched the scenes depicting Christ's return, I didn't understand all the theological terms, but they presented this concept as if it could happen at any moment. That night, I went home unable to sleep for a month. The question haunting my young mind was: "Am I right with God?" I remember going to my parents in tears and saying those exact words because I was applying this truth to myself—if Jesus could come at any moment, would I go up, or would I remain and be left behind?

How do you live your life? Do you assume you have plenty of time, with decades stretched out in front of you? When you're younger, you tend to feel invincible—believing that nothing can hurt you, and nothing can touch you. But then life happens. You receive unsettling news, an accident occurs, or something sends a loved one into eternity, and suddenly their life on earth is over.

Picture yourself standing on a beach, your feet just touching the water at the shoreline. You look out toward the horizon and see water stretching endlessly before you. Our lives here on earth are like those few inches where your feet touch the sand, compared to all that vast ocean of eternity. You might think you can see the end, but when you reach that point, it stretches even further still.

Peter wrote these words two thousand years ago, declaring that "the end of all things is at hand." He was not alone among the New Testament writers in pointing to Christ's second coming and how it should change our daily lives. They lived with anticipation, greeting one another with "Maranatha" — "Come, Lord Jesus." They understood that He could return at any moment.

When Peter advises us to "be serious and watchful," he is urging us to exercise sound judgment and maintain a clear mind. "Watchful" refers to being sober-minded and not allowing external influences to affect your thinking or compromise your moral standards. We should live with intentionality, especially in prayer, because eternity is near.

Reflection Question: If you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, what would you change about how you're living today?

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to live with the reality that eternity is closer than I think. Give me sound judgment and a watchful spirit. Don't let me live as if I'm invincible or as if I have unlimited time. Help me to be serious about my relationship with You and intentional in my prayers. Awaken my heart to the urgency of living for You today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "On the Edge of Eternity" (1 Peter 4:7-11): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/cx4wgnb/20-on-the-edge-of-eternity-1-peter-4-7-11