"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14bWhen you are sleeping so good as the morning comes all too soon, what do you want to do when the alarm goes off? If you are like me I too often like to hit the snooze button. After that five minutes we hit it again and than again, trying to sleep for just a while longer.
It is a known fact that you cannot catch up on your sleep once you have lost it. It is almost like time wasted, you can never get time back any way you try.
As the seconds tick by, each one is gone as the next flies by. Sometimes it is so easy to just lay there in bed, pull the cover up over our heads, hiding the light streaming in and sleep just a little longer, ignoring all that is calling us.
Some can wake up crabby, wishing they could just stay in bed and have it their way. Others wake as the shine is coming up and they are excited to begin their day. As my son says, "Its all in your attitude. Its what you make of it." Pretty wise, huh?
It is so true. We can wake looking forward to all God has for us with wonder or we can put on an ugly face, wishing the day away as our time is wasting by. Which one is you? I can say I have been in both places. If things are going great my attitude is usually the same. When trials and struggles are surrounding me, I would much rather pull the cover over my head. But when I choose that route, am I really gaining anything? Not at all, if anything I am losing. I am not only wasting my time away, and wearing a bad attitude, I am telling God, "I don't want to take part in Your day."
Each day we have is a gift. Some gifts are easy to unwrap with no trouble at all. That present just pops out, but others? Well, some gifts are harder to get to. It takes work to open them, but once open, wow, we are always amazed at what is before us. When we open those gifts they add a smile to our face and a glimmer to our eye.
That is how we should wake each day. We should remember it is the Lord's day and the Lord's way. Why sleep and be dead to the world when we can open our eyes to all God has for us, and use each moment to bring Him glory.
Just think if we changed our attitude each morning it would in turn change those around us. Smiles are contagious. Laughter is catching. Love is wrapped in many ways, and comes in many different forms. As the sun rises each morning, the Son is giving a gift to start the day.
We cannot only want to sleep in through the morning, but we too get go to church asleep, and walk out even more sleepy. If we are not careful we can just fall asleep to all around us. Ever be so tired as your driving, you pull in the drive way, and you can't remember passing the familiar sights you seen on the way home? I have been there, and just as I missed out on those sights coming home, I too have missed out on what the Lord has for me, for I have been asleep in His word.
If we are walking in church and leaving with no change we have pretty much slept through that service. When we enter church we need to be so awake, we hear the Lord speak in His quiet voice that speaks loudly to our hearts.
I want an awakening in my walk with the Lord. There are times I get off track, and we can if we follow the wrong person. That's why it is so important to surround ourselves with those who are awake in the Lord. As we begin to nod off, they can nudge us back awake before we fall. I am blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who keep me awake. I am blessed to have those close to me that if my eyes begin to close, they are so aware of me that they see a change and there they are to give me the awakening I need.
I don't want to waste anymore time. I don't want to hit that snooze button anymore. I want to wake refreshed in the Lord. I want to see the Son shining in upon me, filling me with all I need. I don't want another second to pass that I am not totally on fire for the Lord. I don't want to find myself sleeping and missing out on all He has for me. Just one nod, and I could miss so much. But with my eyes open, wow, look at all I can see and when I wake thinking of Him, He will guide me through the day. He will keep me away from temptation, and keep those from me that cause harm. He will open my eyes to all He is wanting me to see. And boy, is there a lot to see.
Praise Jesus, we can set that alarm early. We can get that needed rest at night, and we wake in Him. Is there really any other way to wake up, except washed in His glory?
