Sleepy

"Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.”
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” - Ephesians 5:14b-21 ESV

Have you ever just woken up tired... sleepy? You know you’ve slept but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Maybe it was a fretful night. Maybe it was actually a night where you didn’t toss and turn but you remember every dream... vividly.

Then the alarm goes off at its normal time and your first waking thought is “Impossible. Unbelievable. This can’t be right. It can’t already be 6:00.”

But it is. So, you “rise and shine” like you know you know you should and struggle through the morning routine. Just browsing the morning paper because you really don’t feel like focusing on it. And it’s really too early to put up with the silly morning giggles of whatever local morning news show is still on prior to the silly morning giggles of the national news shows.

So you move on to the next part of your morning - preparing for work or school or the activities of the day, then brush your teeth and head out the door.

But where is the time for God? Where is the “Giving God the glory, glory” of the “Rise and Shine”?

How do we face a day sleepy and tired without God?

“Awake, O sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you”

And the passage goes on to say this “key statement”:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise...”

How can we walk “as wise” if we are not filling our minds and our hearts with “wisdom”... with the wisdom of Solomon, with the wisdom of Paul, with the wisdom of the prophets, with the wisdom of Jesus?

Even when we are tired and sleepy... Especially when we are tired and sleepy.

I heard it said once like this:

One person said to another, “I’m too busy and have too many important things going on these days to spend time with the Lord praying and reading the Word.”

The other’s response?

“I’m too busy not to.”

Keep the Faith... Carpe Diem