“Things that happen just once can have deadly results,” I shared with Ed, my old friend in Saskatchewan. I think that most of us will admit to a little lapse of attention now and again when driving, but falling asleep at the wheel can be fatal for oneself and others. If distracted driving causes accidents, falling asleep at the wheel causes disaster. Long distant truck drivers recognize the danger of tiredness and will pull over and nap in their trucks. It’s for their safety and that of others.
Ed and I were talking about the things that are too dangerous to ignore. I wanted some sympathy from Ed, as my wife is on my case because my blood pressure is too high. Just because my doctor said it was too high, my wife expects me to get it lowered like I can change it immediately to please her and my doctor. Ed reminded me my wife told me for years to do something about my snoring. He said that the way I do things, it will take me 25 years to deal with my high blood pressure. So much for any sympathy for me from Ed.
I told Ed it is easy to expect others to deal with their danger and eliminate it. For ourselves, by the time we become aware we have a problem, we are often beyond a simple or quick fix. This is especially true in the case of God’s people in the Old Testament. As God’s people, when we sin, the resulting consequences many not be instantly disastrous. Individually or together, we can be distracted, not paying attention to God and what we need to do. We may become blind to our sins, and our neglect of our obedience to God.
Isaiah speaks of this danger confessing to God: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
In the New Testament, Paul warns that it’s our time to wake up from our sleep. We can and do become distracted in our faith and can be asleep to our faith’s responsibilities. Paul reminds us that we need to become awake in our faith before it is too late. We tend to live like we have no time limit on Earth.
Paul warns: “The night is far gone; the day is at hand (the return of Jesus or our death). So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:12-14)
Jesus also calls us to stay awake in our faith, for we do not know when He will return from heaven. Concerning His coming, he says that no one knows the day or hour, only the Father.
He warns all, “Stay awake. Keep awake.” (Mark 13:33,37) I say don’t be asleep at the wheel of Jesus.
