When the phone rings at 1 A.M. and we are roused from deep slumber the first thing that crosses our minds is something is terribly wrong. So you can imagine my thoughts as I picked up the phone, cleared my head and listened to a telemarketer. Yes – you read correctly. A telemarketer at 1 A.M.! Someone wanted me to purchase a home security system. How ironic. I needed someone to protect me from them! Now it is only fair to mention there was not a live human on the other end of the line. It was an automated call. However, I imagine if I had pressed the requested buttons I would have eventually talked to something live.
As I sought to return to my dreams I drifted off thinking of Jesus’ story of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Verse 6 says, “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” The story is about His second return to Earth and the rescue of His friends. He closes by saying, “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” All my life I have been told to be ready. But what does ready mean? If one grew up in a works oriented environment like I did, it meant be sure to do everything right. Return your tithe, keep the Sabbath, don’t eat certain things were just some of the “do everything right.”
You can imagine my joy when I finally learned that being ready meant accepting His gift of grace and loving Him for saving us. As for doing all the right things, Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments.” It is all about love. And why do we love Him. Because He gave us grace. You see. It is all about motive.
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 19, 2014
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 945474
Rogerbothwell.org