ASLEEP IN THE LIGHT
I believe the biggest obstacle to the church fulfilling the mission God has given us…is not on the outside…but on the inside. Too many believers are asleep in the light.
And, the real problem here…is that they’re asleep but don’t know it. They look awake but they’re not…they’re sleepwalking. And, the simple reality is that it’s impossible to “Wake the World Up to Jesus”…to wake a family member or coworker up to Jesus when we’re asleep ourselves.
If you don’t buy this from me, how about from Jesus? Revelation 3:1-2 – “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!”
Are you awake or asleep spiritually? Don’t answer too quickly. You can look awake, believe you’re awake, and others can think you’re awake. You can have the reputation of being alive.
And yet, you can still be asleep in the light.
If you would rather not know…Er…I mean…you’d rather keep sleeping…stop reading here. Otherwise, bravely read on and ask yourself these questions?
Is my relationship with Jesus…my spiritual life…more a weekend thing than every day of the week thing? Does the church define my experience with Christ more than Christ defines my life experience?
Have I experienced much authentic change in my life recently? (Realize: you can’t experience Jesus and remain unchanged. It’s impossible. But, you can talk about Him and remain unchanged.) Have I been experiencing Jesus or just talking about Him?
Am I living spiritually unnoticed…do people know I’m a Christ-follower…do people notice anything different about my life in contrast with those who don’t know Christ?
Do I genuinely know the spiritual condition of people in my world…or is their spiritual condition a mystery to me?
If any of these hit home, you’re not alone. We all struggle in these ways. When it comes to our spiritual lives, we all have the potential for a sleep disorder. But, it’s time to wake up. The world needs Jesus, but, if we’re asleep in the light, we have no chance of waking them up to Him.
My prayer is that God will use this post as an alarm clock in many of our lives.