Why Wait For Righteousness?

“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2Pe 3:12-14 AV)

If the child of God desperately desires a world that is free from wickedness, they why doesn’t he aspire to it today?  If he can see the beauty of holiness, then why does he not make a goal of it in the present?  If he hates that which offends the LORD and deeply desires the day when all glorifies God, then why is there not discipline to attempt some of it today?  We may not be able to see this in our life time, but it is inconsistent to desire a world of righteousness all the while living in unrighteousness.  It is irrational.

There was a show my wife and I liked to watch that followed a family business out in Oregon.  This family built tiny homes.  They would meet with their clients and get an idea of what they were looking for.  They would draw up plans and give the client an idea of what the final product would look like.  The family was a few brothers and their wives.  The wives took it upon themselves to add the accents to the interior.  Furniture, accents, homey touches; things like that.  What always impressed me what their ability to see the final project even before the first nail was driven.  They could see what it was going to look like and began their shopping with that in mind.  A set of pillows; some curtains, flower pots, pictures, accent pieces; the would collect these things waiting for their husbands to finish the dwelling.  Even when they were shopping for these things, I couldn’t see what they were seeing.  The pieces they choose often didn’t seem like they went together.  But they saw it.  What it was all done, it all made sense and looked astounding.  They prepared for something they could not see, yet they knew was going to be there eventually.  The end product was the motivation for the present.

As God’s people, we mourn for the condition of the world.  Even in my short lifetime, I have seen more degradation than I ever imagined could be.  Things have gotten far worse then I ever thought they could be.  And things will never get better until Christ returns.  If we are not careful, we will lose our vision for what the LORD will create and become despondent enough to stop striving.  We will stop the battle in our own personal war.  We will give up conforming to the image of Christ because we cease to see what is coming.  If a world of righteousness is a certainty, then why not aspire to it.  Even if it is in our own personal life, it is far better than the alternative.