Awake

I have a confession to make.

I don’t know how many of you struggle with this. I didn’t use to struggle with this, but the older I get the more I’ve found that this is a real problem for me. It hasn’t always been a problem. I think, especially after having kids, this has become a bigger problem for me than it was before. But the truth is, it’s a real struggle these days.

I have a real problem staying awake when we take our kids to the Movies!

Just a few weeks ago I took our daughter Emma to see the movie Incredibles 2. Theaters these days have these super soft leather seats, & they recline, & the AC is turned up, & about 15 minutes into every kid movie I find myself struggling to keep my eyes open.

There are times when we are so tired that we have trouble staying awake even for important things.

Have you ever had trouble staying awake while driving?

Several years ago my wife & I were on the road late one night. It was one of those times we decided to drive all the way & get home at 3AM in the morning. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open & not fall asleep at the wheel.

It’s dangerous to fall asleep at the wheel when you’re driving.

It’s also dangerous to fall asleep at the wheel when your living.

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What happens when…

That’s why I want you to think about this question:

What happens when we start falling asleep at the wheel to the important things in our lives?

What happens when we’re asleep at the wheel in our marriage?
What happens when you stop talking, really talking to your spouse? What happens when you’re just ships passing in the night? What happens when you’ve fallen asleep to the most important human relationship in your life?

What happens when we’re asleep at the wheel with our kids?
What happens when we become disengaged in their lives? When we’re just a taxi & ATM to support their activities. What happens when we don’t know what’s going on with them because at some point we fell asleep at the wheel in our parenting?

What happens when we fall asleep at the wheel at our job?
When we clock in & clock out, but we stop caring about our work? What happens when the way we work doesn’t honor God or bring glory to Christ? What happens when we burn out, flame out & check out on the work God gave us to do?

What happens when we fall asleep on our church?
I’m not talking about falling asleep during the sermon. What happens when we disengage, when we become consumers & stop contributing to our church? What happens when the totality of our church experience consist of just showing up? What happens when we can point to all the things we don’t like, but we can’t point to anything we’re doing to help?

And, perhaps most importantly,
What happens when we are asleep at the wheel in our walk with Christ?
What happens when you can’t remember the last time you really prayed? The last time you really talked with God? What happens when you can’t remember the last time you opened your Bible on your own time & you spent time in the Word of God? What happens when you can’t remember the last time you really worshiped? What happens when we stop trying?

Here’s my fear, my fear is that too many of us, including myself, are asleep at the wheel not only when it comes to life, but in regards to our spiritual life. And I wonder if from time to time we don’t need someone to nudge us & gently say, “Wake up.”

Stay Awake

This is exactly what happened to Jesus’ disciples at a time when Jesus needed them most.

Read this quick story found in Mark 14.27-38.

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written:

I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Stay awake! Pray! Be attentive to what God is doing in this moment. Don’t fall asleep during a time when God is literally at work in your presence!

But at the most important moment in the history of the world the disciples couldn’t stay awake.

Here with the cross literally around the next corner, at the moment that would literally change everyone’s eternity, the disciples are asleep.

Peter had just told Jesus that he would never abandon him, & all the disciples agreed, but they’ve already abandoned him… they can’t even stay awake with him.

How about you?

As a modern day disciple of Jesus are you awake to what God is doing in the world around you?

Or…

Are you asleep at the wheel to the activity of God in the world around you, too?

Maybe today you feel like you’ve fallen asleep at the wheel in your marriage, with your kids, with your friends, with your job, with your church. Maybe you feel like you’ve failed Jesus. Like you’re asleep at the wheel in your spiritual life. Maybe you can’t remember the last time you really prayed. Maybe you aren’t awake to what God is doing, or wants to do in your life or in the world around you.

Maybe today, you need to hear the voice of Jesus calling you to “Wake up.”

Even though you’ve made promise after promise, that Just like Peter & the other disciples, you’ve failed Jesus & abandoned him when it mattered most.

Maybe it’s time to wake up.

This is my prayer for you today, for all of us… that we would awaken to what Christ is doing in our midst. That you would be present to what God is doing in your presence.

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That you would be awake to what Jesus is doing in your life. That you would STAY AWAKE with Jesus, be present with Jesus & be attentive to what God is doing in your life & in your world.

That you would remember that Jesus doesn’t call you to perfection, but He is calling you in a direction. He’s calling you to stay awake & follow Him.

Francis Chan once said, “We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit & attentiveness.”

The apostle Paul said it this way to his friends in a city called Ephesus…
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5.14

If you’ve fallen asleep for whatever reason in your walk with Christ, I pray you hear the voice of God calling you today to wake up. Wake up to what God is doing in your life.