October 15
October 15
Sometimes God’s children are spiritually asleep.
At the end of Mark 13 we find a brief but important command from Jesus:
Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake. (Mark 13:32–37)
Stay awake is good spiritual counsel. Jesus gives this command as part of his teaching on the end times. He says that no one knows when the end will come. Surprisingly, Jesus says that even he doesn’t know when that time will be. Of course, in saying this, he is speaking from the vantage point of his humanity.
The command to stay awake concerns living with eternity in view. People who live with eternity in view know that the present is not all they have, and life is not about the pleasures of the moment. The primary goal of life is not acquiring a big pile of stuff. It’s not reaching the greatest heights in your career. It’s not convincing people to think that you are great. Life is not about big houses, nice cars, great meals, or awesome vacations. Because this fallen world is not your final destination, this life is about preparation. This is God’s agenda between the “already” of our conversion and the “not yet” of our homegoing. Everything God brings into your life is a preparation for what is to come. Staying awake is living with a preparation mentality.
Sadly, I think many of us are spiritually asleep. When you are asleep, you are passive and unaware. If you are casual about church attendance, you are probably living asleep. If you rush through your daily devotions, you might be asleep. If you haven’t surrounded yourself with loving gospel community, you could be half-asleep. If you don’t desire to understand the doctrines of your faith, you are probably living asleep. If you are not participating in the ministries of your church, you might be asleep. If you find it hard to be honest about your faith with friends, family, or coworkers, you’re probably sleeping. If you aren’t thankful for the blessings of God’s grace every day, you’re probably a bit asleep.
Jesus’s command is a call to an alert, serious, and active faith, one that causes you to make willing sacrifices of time, energy, and money. If you think you’ve been asleep, don’t wallow in guilt. God welcomes your confession and will meet you with his forgiving and transforming grace.