Don't judge me. I am a lifelong professional at hitting the
snooze button. There have been a few times where I pressed the snooze button on
those nine-minute intervals for several hours. I’m not exaggerating. It’s never
a good sleep when you are doing that. I know I’m better off with setting my
alarm for the absolute time to wake up, but I still don’t do that. What a
terrible invention that was. Shame on GE for introducing the idea in the 1950’s!
I want to share with you about the spiritual snooze button
in my life. Yes, my natural life mimicked my spiritual life for sure when it
came to feeling like I needed more sleep.
I have been a Christian for thirty-one years now. I have
never let go of Christ in my heart, but my Christian walk has paralleled a
rollercoaster for much of the time. When I was first converted at the age of
seventeen, I immediately became a Jesus zealot. That lasted a few years through
my early twenties with Bible College and serving in the church, then came life.
I put Jesus on the back burner when I was trying to navigate my own way through
the world. I wish I could say that I was a model Christian growing in grace and
faith every year, but that was not the case.
So with Jesus on the back burner, and my own plans and
desires at the forefront, my life was spent stumbling in the dark for the most
part. I went to church, read Christian books, and even worked at a church for a
few years. But reality says I was spiritually asleep most of the time. That
pattern continued for much too long until I came to the end of myself.
This past July 2017, I was spiritually shaken awake during a
season of partying and not living right. One night when I had a moment of
solitude, I felt like someone was shaking me saying “Wake up Craig! Don’t you know what time it
is?” It was a supernatural experience. The scales lifted off my eyes that night
as I had a real encounter with the Holy Spirit. I responded with true
repentance and gratitude. This happened in a Walmart parking lot. I proceeded
to go on my late night shopping venture anyhow. Picture me walking through a
Walmart at midnight with tears flowing down my eyes as I was saying “Thank you
God for waking me up.” I probably looked like a crazy person, but then again it
was midnight at Walmart, anything is acceptable.
Ever since that night, my life has been perfect. Not at all!
I found myself struggling with sin and self gratification within days of that
awakening on July 16, 2017. (BTW – whoever was praying for me on that night, I
could never thank you enough!)
So, from July 2017 until January this year, it was a roller coaster
ride again, but not the colossal roller coaster this time. I went to church
weekly, but throughout the week I would find myself partying some nights. Other
nights I would stay home and read the Bible. Sunday through Tuesday were
usually good days, but as the weekend approached I would fall back to old
behavior. It was as if I would hear the alarm on Sunday and be awake for a
little bit and then go back to sleep. Total snooze button pattern. Thank God I
fully woke up in January. I am fully awake now! It feels great!
Have you ever accidentally turned off the snooze button and
overslept to result in being late for work or missing an appointment? That is a
bad day! The sleep was not worth the consequence. Do you know that could happen
to you spiritually? “Okay God, I know I need to get my act together, and I will
do that when…” and back to sleep you go. What if there was not another alarm?
Snoozing is dangerous!
The following account of Jesus and his three best men during
his darkest hour is a literal story, but I think it speaks to us figuratively
as believers in this last hour.
They went to a place
called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He
took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed
and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he
said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to
the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba,
Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet
not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and
found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you
keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Once more he went
away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them
sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?
Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of
sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” Just as he was speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and
clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man;
arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
“Rabbi!” and kissed him. Then everyone deserted him and fled. Every day I was
with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the
Scriptures must be fulfilled.” “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that
you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Then one of those standing
near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his
ear. The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
Mark 14:32-50
Three times in those few hours, Jesus kept coming back to
them to find them asleep. They woke up each time, but then they went right back
to sleep. That is crazy to think about. Jesus the Son of God in the flesh was
there with his top three disciples during his darkest hour and none of them
could stay awake. When they finally woke up because of the commotion, they
still didn’t understand what was going on. I believe if they had stayed awake
with Jesus, Peter would not have cut off that guy’s ear. Now that is a crazy
thing to do. He almost killed someone because he didn’t comprehend what was
taking place.
God’s word warns us in several places about the danger of
being asleep. The following verses are written and directed towards Christians,
the church, not the world of unbelievers. This is serious! Read these passages
and do what it says. Don’t take the gamble of hitting the snooze button one
more time. There might not be one more time. Wake up!
For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find
out what pleases the Lord. (for the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, righteousness and truth) Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the
disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes
visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is
said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be
very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of
every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:8-17
And do this,
understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up
from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first
believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as
in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and
debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the
Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the
flesh.
Romans 13:11-14
I am fully aware that January was only a few months ago.
Like, who am I to be telling my brothers and sisters to wake up? I can only say
this to you because I am fully awake now. It took me six months through the
snooze cycle to get to that point. I will explain the process in another post.
But, I can tell you that my awakening should not have taken that long! It is
what it is though. Thank God I did not turn off the alarm and slip back into
slumber! Thank God!
