Time Is Ticking

We check the time for almost everything. Appointments. Deadlines. Meetings. Birthdays. Church programs. Flights. Bills. We live by calendars, reminders, alerts, and alarms. My phone reminds me when to leave, when to show up, what needs to be done, and what I cannot afford to forget.

But lately, I have been thinking about the one appointment I cannot put on my calendar, the return of Jesus.

That thought can feel heavy at first. Life is short, and time really does seem to move faster day by day. One day we are saying, “I have time.” Then suddenly, days become weeks, weeks become years, and moments we thought we would get back have quietly passed us by.

That makes me pause. Not because I am afraid of Jesus coming, but because I want my heart to be ready when He does. Jesus does not remind us of His return to scare us. He reminds us because He loves us. His coming is not meant to frighten the believer. It is meant to awaken us.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. All ten had lamps. All ten were invited. All ten were waiting. But only five had enough oil when the bridegroom came. The difference was not in how they looked. The difference was in what they carried.

That part speaks to me. Because it is possible to look ready on the outside and still be running low on the inside. It is possible to attend church, know the right words, serve in ministry, and still feel the quiet places of the soul growing dry. People may see the lamp, but only God knows if there is oil.

So for me, this question is not just, “Will the world be ready?” It becomes personal:  Will my heart be ready?

Ready does not mean perfect. Ready does not mean I never get tired, distracted, discouraged, or overwhelmed. Ready means I keep turning my heart back to Jesus.

It means forgiving while I still have the chance. Loving while there is still time. Serving while the door is open. Praying before the crisis comes. Surrendering the places in my heart I keep delaying. Readiness is not only about the future. It is about how I live today.

So while time is still ticking, I do not just want to check my calendar. I want to check my heart. Lord, is there anything in me that needs to be surrendered? Is there anyone I need to forgive? Is there a calling I keep postponing? Is there oil in my lamp? Because one day, the Bridegroom will come. And by God’s grace, I want to be ready.

Readiness is not panic about tomorrow; it is keeping my heart surrendered to Jesus today.

Pearl's Prayer:

Lord, teach me to live ready, not afraid. Keep my heart tender, my faith alive, and my lamp filled with Your Spirit. Help me not to waste the time You have given me. Show me what needs to be surrendered, healed, forgiven, or restored. When You come, may my heart be found waiting for You.

Amen.