Just Wanting God Is Enough

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:8

2 Timothy is the very last letter that Paul wrote. He’s languishing in prison at the end of his life, about to stand before Caesar - who was certainly not ‘the righteous Judge’! You can imagine Paul daydreaming about how that moment will go and what might follow… and wondering about heaven.

Wistfully, Paul writes that the ‘crown of righteousness’ will be awarded on judgment day to ‘all who have longed for his appearing’ (2 Tim 4:8). There’s no formula here about being saved by faith, no list of things to believe, no statement of who Christ is… just a description of intense desire for God. Here, at the end of Paul’s life, that seems to be enough. Just wanting God is what matters. ⠀
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Sometimes it seems like we make it too complicated, doesn’t it? While we build up religions, those who mature spiritually continually try to simplify them.

How has your view of who gets into heave shifted over time? Has it contracted or expanded, and why do you think that is? Why do you think desiring God to show up seems so very important to Paul? What are the places you’re desiring God to show up these days?