Ask a teenager you know which she/he would prefer a) an all-expense paid vacation at the resort of her choice, filled with every kind of fun activity imaginable, or b) four years of free tuition, room, and board at the university of her choice. Does one day of fun outweigh a four-year free ride through college? Sadly, many young people of this generation, indoctrinated with secularism, are opting for the one day of fun.
What happened to the Biblical worldview? Why aren’t our youth being told about it? Even a fun-packed few years on earth are as nothing compared to an eternity of happiness with God. And let us add the clause that their one day of pure fun can end abruptly at any time.
St. Paul had the task of reminding the communities of the Biblical worldview. Let’s listen to him (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).
“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.”
When they were baptized, these Christians were set free from the world of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light. They had opted for the “four-year plan” over the “day of fun.” Still, they were being tempted to take the easy road and fall asleep to the lullaby of secularism.
“For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.”
Though all people are deserving of God’s wrath because of their sins, Jesus released them from this destiny and brought them through the gate of salvation. United to Jesus they were now heaven-bound.
Paul concludes his exhortation with these words:
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.”
Though we have bought into God’s worldview and have received the first fruits of salvation, there is a still a battle going on. There is an Enemy who works on us day and night to exchange our eternal inheritance for an imagined “day of fun” in this world. All of us can fall into the “Esau trap” who exchanged the blessing of Jacob for a bowl of soup.
Because of the battle, we tend to grow weary and discouraged. Paul reminds us that each of us has the power to encourage one another and build up one another as we seek to move forward to our eternal destiny. It is important to remind ourselves that we are connected in one Body and are expected to support one another just the way the parts of our physical bodies help each other out.
Paul adds a familiar warning:
“For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape.”
Yes, the world can offer us the “fun day,” but it has no control over how long this day will last. The Lord’s Day will come suddenly like a thief in the night and our continual challenge is that we do all we can to be ready for it.
“Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted and wait for the Lord” (Ps 27:14).
