With Memorial Day behind us, we now focus our attention on the coming of summer. For those of us who prefer the more tropic-like temperatures, yet choose to live in the northeast (why did we do that?), we look with anticipation to the sunny days of summer.

We live with expectation: “the strong belief that something will happen or will be the case in the future” (Oxford Languages). In the middle of winter, we expect that summer will one day arrive. However, when we experience the first warm days of spring, our expectation turns to anticipation; we look forward to summer. We visualize sitting on the deck by the pool, sipping iced tea or lemonade.

Anticipation “involves looking forward to something with excitement or eagerness, while expectation is a simple belief that something will happen.” With anticipation, there is more intensity, more excitement surrounding that event, so much more than just knowing something is going to happen (askdifference.com).

In II Timothy 4:6-8, near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote these words to his young protégé, Timothy: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me — the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” (NLT).

Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul lived his life as an offering to God. He evangelized, planted churches, raised up elders in each of those churches, and collected offerings for the church in Jerusalem that was suffering financially. He lived with the expectation that his life was going to make a difference for the kingdom of God. And he expected that when his life on this earth was over, God would have something more, something greater, something amazing in store for him.

In Philippians 1:21 Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV). As long as he was on this earth, he was going to live for Christ. He was going to make his life count for the kingdom of God.

A good friend and mentor of mine, as he was dying with cancer, made this statement: “You can’t scare a Christian with heaven.” It is a bold, confident statement for one who lived his life with the expectation of spending eternity in the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As his death drew near, he began to anticipate being free from that deadly disease and began to look forward to his new, glorified body.

The Apostle Paul lived with that same expectation. As he was approaching death, his expectation turned into anticipation. A crown of righteousness awaited him, and not only him, but everyone who eagerly looks forward to Christ’s appearing.

If you are living for Christ each day and looking for His return, if you are anticipating His appearing, there is a crown of righteousness awaiting you; there is eternity in His presence awaiting you where there is no more death, tears, sorrow, or suffering.

Fight the good fight, finish the race, and remain faithful to our God, and you, like Paul, will be able say, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Rev. James R. Pentz, Presbyter, North Central Section, Penn/Del Ministry Network