| December 27th - Wake Up Call "Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkness, not in chambering and wantoness, not in strife and envying. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:10-14) Why do we try to surround our lives with fantasy and escapism? Entertainment is ok. It can be quite inspirational and instrumental to God's purposes. But what I'm talking about is the kind of fantasy that causes a seemingly content husband or wife to be lured away into an affair, or a well adjusted young adult to begin seeking after a life of danger or crime. Or perhaps a much more subtle example: what makes it difficult to face another day in school or at the office? What do you have to do to get your body up and going in the morning? Is it harmful to your health? Can you risk the brain cells? Are you trading in your tomorrows for today? Are you asleep? Sometimes there's pain in our past which leads us to medicate in various ways. Sometimes we're acting out things in an attempt to compensate for a neglect or an abuse towards us. Sometimes we are stuck in a rut that is nothing like we envisioned for our lives, and we feel trapped, helpless, caught up and completely uninspired. Life brings many disappointments and sometimes great harshness and pain. How do we medicate that? How do we deal with it? How do we heal from it? Do we escape? Do we face it head on, even though we feel too weak to fight? Do we fall prey to one more relationship before completely giving up? Do we settle for a life other than what we dream for? I have found Jesus Christ to be my closest companion through the toughest of times. A friend who is always there to lift me up and give me the will to go on. It's not blind faith when you see Him comimg through over and over again to save you when you're slipping away. I have turned to drink, sensuality, and whatever else seemed to get my mind off of my troubles at times, but nothing... nothing... nothing works better than turning to the God who promises to hear you in your day of trouble and crying out to Him. Ask Him to open your eyes to the truth and wake you from your slumber. Nobody does it better! You will never regret a decision to follow Christ, no matter what it costs you in friends, family and material goods. To be clothed in the armour of His light is to be surrounded by heaven's glory, no matter where you find yourself today. And believe me! that is a very powerful dynamic to have in operation around you! Jesus doesn't just save you from trouble, He causes you to soar with eagles. It's time to wake up now... |