Children of the Day

"But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." — 1 Thessalonians 5:4–6
 
If Jesus came back today, would it catch you off guard?
 
A thief doesn't send a notice. He doesn't call ahead to let you know he's coming by on Thursday. Nobody who has ever had their home broken into has said, "I saw that coming." That's the whole point.
 
Paul says that for the world, the day of the Lord is going to come just like that. Sudden. Unexpected. But then he turns to believers and says, "Not you."
 
Now, that doesn't mean we get to know the date. Over the years, plenty of people have tried to set one, and every one of them has been wrong. Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour. So why won't it surprise us? Because we don't live in the dark. When you're a child of the day, you're dressed and ready whenever the knock comes.
 
Then Paul gives two instructions: stay awake and be sober.
 
Staying awake means not drifting into spiritual sleep. You can sit in church every week and still be sound asleep on the inside, just going through the motions and numb to the things of God. Being sober means keeping a clear head. It means not getting so intoxicated by this world, its money, its entertainment, its worries, that you lose sight of what's coming.
 
Here's the question I want you to ask yourself. Is there anything in my life right now that I'd be ashamed for Jesus to walk in on? If there is, that's a part of your life that's still living in the dark.
 
So, flip on the lights. Bring it to Him and confess it. Wake up to what He's doing around you. You're a child of the day. Live like it, and His coming won't be a threat. It will be the best day of your life.