1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”

Prayer keeps our mind engaged with spiritual matters. We wake up in the morning with a million things on our minds. My mind can flit between a dozen things in a mere moment: family, sports, bills, groceries, things that need fixing, aching body parts and back again. It takes concentration and intention to focus on spiritual things. Because we are in the final stages of God’s redemptive plan on earth we need to be focused. Perhaps Peter’s past mistakes informed his admonition here. Peter is like a father who remembered the mistakes of his youth when instead of praying with Jesus, he dozed off and then dozed off again. He doesn’t want us, his readers, to make the same mistakes he made. He wants us to keep track of the time and to pray. 

Peter did not know when Jesus was coming back, but he knew that it could be at any time. There was nothing preventing Jesus’s return and Christians needed to be busy and ready. I don’t think Peter would have been surprised if Jesus had returned in his lifetime, but I don’t think he’d be surprised that two thousand years later we are still waiting. In Peter’s second letter he wrote:

“⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Jesus is never late. He arrives precisely as he has planned. Peter understood that while we are told to wait and watch, Jesus’ has his purpose and plan. The Lord is patient and is working through his people to bring people to repentance. He sent prophet after prophet for 800 years to the children of Israel before he allowed the Babylonians to wipe out Jerusalem and take Judah into captivity.  The Lord’s patience is because of his desire to save, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). 

When times are tough, I really want to see my Savior’s face. When times are good, I can easily drift. Peter reminds us that in the good times and bad we need to stay focused. The return of Christ is near so be ready, but every day that the Lord tarries, we see God’s patience in bringing sinners to himself. Let us encourage each other to be sober minded, clear headed, and engaged in the hard ministry of prayer so that when the Lord returns for us he will find us faithful.