Asleep on the Battlefield

Today I was in Atlanta driving on I285. If you know anything about Atlanta, you know that 285 is the "Bypass" also known as the "Perimeter." On a map, it is the big circle around Atlanta. All of the 18-wheelers are supposed to take this route rather than driving 85 straight through the city. While I'm not wild about zipping my little car in and out of traffic between those giant trucks, I do it anyway. Today as I was making that drive, I could barely stay awake. I have been on the go so much lately that I am near exhaustion. Sleep has not been plentiful in several weeks now, and the monotony of driving sometimes puts me right out.

As I was driving today, I kept having to sing, shake my head, turn up the AC, and anything else I could think of to stay awake. It occurred to me that this scenario is a parallel to my spiritual life many days. As I am whizzing through traffic, I am constantly surrounded by danger and near-death experiences. Yet I am on the verge of sleep.

How many times have I become complacent in my walk with God, that temptation will creep up on me and surround me? How sleepy have I become that I am caught up in the things of this world and swept away before I realize it? How many dangerous and potentially fatal things have I allowed the Enemy to position right beside me?

Today, I was in that condition for several reasons. One, I was physically exhausted. I've been going and doing too much. I haven't given my body a chance to recharge. It's no wonder that I am falling asleep at the wheel. Two, I had been traveling the same path with nothing fresh and new for some time. Three, I was traveling alone. No one to talk to. The same is true for our walk with God.

We become so busy with other things, even church things that we do not take time to revive ourselves physically or spiritually. This sets us up for falling prey to temptation and weakens our resistance. Second, we often get stuck in a spiritual rut - never experiencing God in new ways. Worshipping Him in a different setting or stepping out of our comfort zone to serve someone can wake us up and give us a fresh perspective and energy. Finally, we were not meant to walk alone. It is so easy to stray from the path when we have no one beside us to keep us motivated, encouraged and accountable.

A few weeks ago, there was a fatal accident on 285 in Atlanta. A UPS truck (18 wheeler) and a van had pulled over to the shoulder - broken down. A UPS mechanic was under the truck working on it. Another 18 wheeler came along and plowed right into the truck, killing the mechanic. The driver had fallen asleep and had not even slowed down. On the news, you could not even recognize the truck that had been hit because it was completely destroyed.

When we fall asleep at the spiritual wheel, we not only run the risk of wrecking our own lives, we also put others in danger. We are called to be a light to the world. We are called to encourage one another. As ministers of God, we cannot afford to become lazy and complacent. We may be the only Jesus some people will ever see. If we are careening down a path of destruction, we run the risk of taking others with us by example or simply running them over with our blindness.

We all need to get some rest and revive physically and spiritually. I was once told that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. I couldn't agree more. Not only do we need to slow down as a society, we also need to hush up. Rest and relaxation can go hand in hand with quiet meditation.

We all need a change of scenery. Shake things up a bit. God is not one sided and intends for us to see Him from many angles. Put your "3D glasses" on and look for Him in a new way.

And like the "after school specials" commercials - it's always safer and more fun to travel with friends. We weren't meant to navigate this journey alone. So load up the station wagon before you head out tomorrow...

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be sober.
-1 Thess 5:6

Encourage each other and build each other up...
-1 Thess 5:11a