This verse appears in the context of Paul’s exhortation to believers who were expecting the Lord’s return. Paul had taught them that the world would be caught off guard, but believers would be prepared. That is because we are the children of today. We stroll through the light. The world longs for the night, where obscurity conceals their evil. The darkness keeps them from seeing what’s approaching.
Because the Lord will return and summon His people to join Him, we should live in anticipation of that day. We should treat each day as if it were our last. We want to be about the Lord’s business when He comes back for us. We surely do not want to find ourselves compromising in sin when the time comes.
That is why Paul urged the Thessalonian church to be sober. That entails not only being sober, but also taking our time seriously. We wear an armor of faith and love. The world views us as people of religion who love one another. Our heads are safeguarded by the prospect of salvation. Our expectation is for the wonderful day when Jesus’ work in us is completed. Every morning when we wake up, we should consider that today could be the day. I want Him to find me true to the call He has given me when the time comes.
Consider this: Even if Jesus returns a hundred years from now, I may not have tomorrow. I must be about my Father’s business (Luke 2:49).
