Well, y’all, Mark 13:33 says, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” Now, if that doesn’t sound like a reminder straight from Mama when company’s on the way, I don’t know what does. “Clean the house and act right,” she’d say. “You never know when folks are gonna show up.” And she wasn’t just talking about neighbors dropping by with a casserole—she meant life itself.

Life has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it? Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, bam! Something unexpected comes along—a storm, a blessing, or a wake-up call. Jesus is telling us the same thing here: Stay ready. Not in some paranoid, pacing-the-floor way, but with a heart and life tuned to God.

Staying alert means living each moment with purpose. It means loving people today, forgiving folks now, and doing the good you know you ought to do. Tomorrow’s not promised, and frankly, neither is dinner tonight. So, live in such a way that if Jesus shows up this afternoon or next Thursday, you won’t have to scramble to clean up your mess.

It’s not about fear, y’all; it’s about faith. Faith that says, “Lord, I’m living like You’re coming today, and trusting You’ve got tomorrow in hand.” So, be on guard, be alert, and while you’re at it, don’t forget to leave the porch light on. You never know who—or what—might be knocking.