But one thing that struck me is this simple mindset I have, that every problem will receive its solution soon enough. “God will soon take care of this situation.” And to me, “soon” means as quickly as possible. The longer the problem drags on, the more anxious I become.
Then, I start to become worried.
I start stressing out. My faith starts to waver as I try to hold on to God.
Over the years, God has granted me with patience, so I’m not as easily prone to doubt Him. Nevertheless, it can be hard at times.
Anyway, back to my not-so-philosophical musings. As I was thinking of the need to be patient, I suddenly considered the disciples. Near the end of His earthly sojourn, Jesus had told them that He was returning to the Father. Trying to place myself into the scene, I would have assumed He was coming back no later than a year (John 14).
I wonder how many disciples assumed the same thing.
After they witnessed His ascension to Heaven with the angels, they waited. And waited. And waited some more. They told others about Christ and His coming. And waited. Weeks stretched into months, which stretched into years. Friends died as martyrs, they were scorned by many. And still, they waited.
He never came though, at least not in the human form they expected. According to the human mentality, He was late. He had broken His promise. However, as the verse shows us today, He had a very crucial reason for not coming earlier: love.
The reason the Second Coming has not happened is because Jesus is still calling everyone to repentance. He wants to save everyone from the peril of Hell. Just as we’re waiting, He’s also waiting. He’s waiting for more sinners to accept Him. He’s waiting for more runaways to return home.
He’s not late, He’s not being slow. He’s patiently waiting.