Wake Up and Live!

A funny thing happens when I get startled awake. I act (often rashly) before I am aware of my surroundings. A family member or friend will startle me out of a nap. I'll yell, flail, and rebel before I actually know what is going on. Though I respond instantly, it takes a minute to get my bearings so that I can respond appropriately.

That response can illustrate how we wake up in our spiritual lives. We fall asleep in our faith. Therefore, we aren’t as aware of God’s voice, God’s direction or God’s presence in our lives. Then, some circumstance jars us awake. We turn to Jesus like a knee jerk reaction. We pray for Jesus to fix the situation before we fully understand the situation. We demand God give us direction though we aren’t that familiar with God's voice. In other words, we jump to spiritual action before we get our spiritual bearings.

When that happens, God’s grace is sufficient. Though we return to Jesus like a startled napper, he helps us regain awareness in Him. Ephesians 5:13-15 promises it: “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.’” We may not be spiritually aware when we wake, but we have the promise that Jesus will help us see by shining his light on us.

If you have fallen asleep spiritually, let me encourage you to wake up! Wake up and act spiritually even if it feels like you’re flailing. Pray. Read the scriptures. Worship with fellow Christians. As you do, Jesus will shine a light on you. He will help you discern His voice. He will help you recognize His will for your life. Though waking up may shock our system, He will help us see our situation for what it is and bring it to life.