Today’s Gospel Reading is not the easiest one out there but sometimes a dose of reality is needed to help us keep proper perspective in our lives.

It reminds me of when we turn on the news or hear of someone we know that has died at an early age. We are shocked. It forces us to look at our own life and think—what if that were me? Suddenly, the things we were complaining about yesterday now seem insignificant in the face of death.

Jesus did not mince words when He warned the apostles, and us, that we need to be prepared for the end. There is a lot of talk these days about the rapture and being “left behind” but concentrating on the exact how’s and why’s of Jesus’ second coming can distract us from reality. Our end can come at any time. We need to be watchful and never neglect the most important thing in life—our eternal salvation.

That’s scary stuff! But God in not calling us to live in an attitude of doom and gloom because we may die at any moment. Rather, He wants us to be wise and cautious with our eyes always on Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus says the people were eating, drinking, and marrying up to the day that Noah entered the ark. So, too, in the days of Lot. But Noah had to eat and drink to sustain himself. Noah was married and had a family. What is the difference?

Noah’s life was centered on God. He was in communion with Him. In prayer, he could hear the voice of God speaking to him and guiding him. He listened to God and followed His commands. His daily life was a means to an end, not the end itself.

Are we like Noah? Are we in communion with God, turning our hearts to Him throughout the day and spending some quiet time with Our Lord to hear the words He wishes to speak to our hearts?

I believe God is also challenging us to take a deeper look at ourselves. There are things in life that are good, in and of themselves, but they still have the ability to lead us away from God. They take up too much of our time or they make it difficult for us to keep our eyes on God. These can be distractions from staying prepared.

Is there something in your life keeping you from being as close to God as you should? I can feel God tugging at my heart. Is He tugging your heart too? How will you answer?

Bobbi Rol is full time mom to a teen daughter, three rambunctious little boys, and two babies in heaven. She lives in California with her husband, Brian. You can find out more about her here.