As we develop the fervent desire for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds, we must lead an active and dynamic life oriented to produce effectively for the kingdom of God.

We ask ourselves: What to do while we wait for the return of the Lord? How to live while we wait for the great prophetic moment of the coming of Christ?

Throughout the Scriptures we find three warnings for us Christians regarding the return of the Lord:

• Monitor faithfully
• Work diligently
• Wait quietly

Monitor faithfully

The Lord repeatedly said that we must watch over his coming because we do not know the day or time of his return (Mt 24:42; 25:13). In Luke 21:36, Jesus gave this specific instruction:

Look, then, at all times praying to be considered worthy to escape all these things that will come, and to present yourself before the Son of man.

We must do more than pray while we watch. We must be firm in faith, with courage and strength (1 Cor 16:13). We must look soberly, armed with faith, love and salvation (1 Thess. 5: 8). As we observe, we must remain especially alert to false prophets. We must discern the spirits and flatly reject all those who do not confess that Jesus Christ is God made flesh (2 Peter 2: 1).
Jesus spoke to John in a vision and gave this great promise to those who remain vigilant:

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he who looks (Revelation 16:15).

We must work

Why does Jesus after saving us leave us here on earth? Why are we not immediately taken to the presence of the Lord as soon as we are born again? Because we still have work to do!

First, God calls us to win souls. We must be witnesses of the Lord, speaking about the love of God and the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
We must testify of what he has done in our own lives, both with our words and with our example. As long as there is only one soul on earth who has not heard the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have work to do!

Second, we must grow spiritually, developing an ever deeper intimacy with the Lord. None of us live up to their spiritual potential. We all have the possibility to grow more. In those areas where we discover that we are not like Christ, we must work with the Spirit to conform to his likeness. Our minds must be renewed (Ro 12: 1).
Our internal wounds and our emotions must be healed. We must grow in spiritual discernment and in the wisdom of God. Our faith must be strengthened and used so that our prayers contribute more effectively to the kingdom of the Lord.

We must wait

Waiting is not easy. Impatience often leads to frustration. Waiting can also increase our fear. The longer something we anticipate occurs, the greater our concern about what will happen, and this can degenerate into anxiety about what might happen. Fear is just one step away.

The angels declared peace on earth at the first coming of Jesus (Luke 2:14). More than three hundred times in the Scriptures, the Lord says that we should not fear but enjoy peace. The prophet Isaiah referred to Jesus as the prince of peace (Isaiah 9: 6). Throughout his ministry, the Lord Jesus declared peace. To the woman with blood flow he said "go in peace"; The stormy sea calmed him by saying, "Shut up, shut up"; and to the disciples he said: "I give you my peace." The Lord calls us to peace while we wait for his return.

Apart from Jesus, there is no peace, either within each human heart or between human beings or nations. With Jesus, we can experience a peace that goes beyond our capacity for understanding and that is rooted in the depths of our being (Philippians 4: 7). We must seek and find this peace while we wait for the Lord's return.