Stay Awake

My husband and I spend a lot of time on the road. Now and then I see a highway sign that says "Take a Break. Stay awake for safety's sake." To preserve the life of a sleepy driver, passengers that might be in his car, and other drivers on the road, this sign serves as a warning. If you are sleepy, pull over, stretch your legs, get some fresh air. Once you feel revived, get back in your vehicle. You might lose a little time but you might save lives. My husband and I have a dear friend - Dwight Hardin - who fell asleep while he was driving. He hit a log truck and sustained brain injuries and paralysis as a result. Others are not even this fortunate; they lose their lives because they fall asleep at the wheel.

We've seen a lot of truck stops and rest areas over the past decade. There have been times when we have both been so exhausted that conversing and singing no longer kept us from just wanting to sleep. Occasionally, we have put the windows down and let the cold air hit us to revive us. But sometimes, we have to stop. Just getting out of the truck and walking around for a little while does amazing things. Bill will get some fuel and maybe propane; he's moving. We might chat with someone for a few minutes; our minds become clearer. The activity gets the blood pumping and pretty soon, we are ready to rumble down the road.

Here is my spiritual parallel, one which is biblical and vital for us to remember: As people allow themselves to become inundated with the world instead of things of the Spirit, they slowly fall asleep. They become numb, desensitized to true reality - the spiritual realm where prayer, fasting, and consecration create a Spirit-filled life.

No longer are they fascinated by Scripture or enthralled by a simple song with the message of the blood, the cross, redemption. They have become so accustomed to being entertained that they forget how to entertain God with true humility and sincere worship. The simple preaching of the gospel no longer fascinates them.

They want imitated anointing, which - in their sleepy condition - they mistake for the real. You see, when we are in the state between alert awake-ness and complete slumber, our judgment is poor. Our reactions are slow and our mental alacrity is dulled. We don't perceive things as they really are.

Once a person actually falls asleep while navigating his way through life, the results are often disastrous. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus spoke a parable about a farmer who "sowed good seed in his field." The seed - the Word of God - was pure. It was sure to produce a good crop. But the men working for the farmer fell asleep. And as they were sleeping, the farmer's "enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."

The Scripture infers that the workers were near the field. They were potential guards, but because they fell asleep, the enemy was able to sow bad seed among the good. And not a single person was aware of what had been done...until the crop began to grow and the tares became visible.

I Peter 5:8-9 is like the sign beside the highway: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith..."

Be sober. Be vigilant. Stay away...for safety's sake.