Every day drags on just like the last.  There is no thought that tomorrow will be any different from today.  You don’t bother looking at the calendar anymore (all the appointments and plans

have been cancelled anyway).  What may have started out as an opportunity to get a jump on some spring cleaning or tackling some lingering projects on the “Honey Do” list has become just a meaningless list of chores that you can work on tomorrow.  I fear that many of us have been feeling de-motivated lately, as it can be a real challenge in this season of life.  The same problem has always been a real phenomenon in the Christian’s growth and walk with the Lord as well.  Maybe we began our walk with the Lord with motivation to live for and learn about Him.  Maybe we began as an “on fire” Christian, fully engaged in the work of the Lord, but as the days dragged on in life and the monotony of the cares of this world crowded in, we have found ourselves lacking in the motivation and discipline to “get up and go” for the Lord.

This type of complacency is exactly what Peter was tackling in the passage today.  Take a moment to read 2 Peter 3:8-14.  Do you sense the tone of verse 8?  Do you see how it reflects much of the same sentiment that we are feeling in our current quarantine situation?  One day can feel like a thousand years to us (or maybe you are feeling like you are serving a “sentence” with a thousand years worth of days).  Either way, it is easy for us to lose sight of what is coming.  And when we lose sight of the end goal, grow tired of the waiting, and just give up on the inside, we can easily lose our fervor and zeal for the Lord. 

Then Peter takes a moment to refocus our vision and remind us of what is coming with greater clarity.  “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night” (v.10).  While we may be looking for a “phased” re-opening after quarantine, there will be no phased approach for when the Lord will return.  Jesus will coming stealthily (like a thief) and without warning (in the night), which is why we need to stay vigilant in watching for Him.  There are no prophetic events that need to occur before the Lord can return. It could happen at any moment, which is why we must stay motivated to work for Him.

I wish I could provide an easy 3-step solution for how to overcome feeling de-motivated at this time either in your life’s work or in your spiritual life.  What I can offer is the same advice that Peter gave to believers: don’t focus on what is coming tomorrow, but rather focus on the greater hope and goal at the end.  As we keep our eyes fixed on the eternal, the day-to-day will just bring us another day closer to seeing Jesus.  And remember to keep Peter’s exhortation: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”  (v.14)