Arise, O Sleeper

Ephesians 5:13-16

13 “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

This has been a profound scripture for me recently. I find that when I get further from God, I tend to sleep a lot more. I tend to ignore the cause of Christ on my life. I am the living dead. My purpose and vision is not as clear. Things are fuzzy. Like a foggy morning that blocks the sun; you could say that I am walking, well, in darkness.

But, when I come realize this fact and admit that I am in sin (by my mere separation from God instead of a particular sinful act), it shines light on it. And, as it says, that which becomes visible IS light.

That means that in the instant that I shine light on my wrong path, my path become visible and thus, light. I am instantly in God’s grace again.

I also realize that other things in my life fall into order. Waking up early to write about God, study His word, planning my day and working out all seem to come back together with ease. Struggling to rise at 4:30 a.m. is gone. I seem to just hop out of bed ready for my day.

That is what it is to be ‘awake’; to rise with purpose, to know one’s destiny (or at least be at peace and full of faith that God knows your destiny.)

Why all of this rising, and asleep and awake? Because there is only one commodity that we lack, and that is time.

Though we are, all of us (the righteous and the unrighteous), eternal beings, there is only a brief time that we can make our stand. This life is a proving ground where we wave our colors, be they the colors of light or colors of darkness.

We stand here in the temporal to determine how we shall spend the rest of our eternal existence.

As it says in verse 16, we must make the best use of our time. We must be sure to walk in wisdom in our short time on this earth in this time.

This is what it means to Awake, O Sleeper! Arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!!

I encourage you. Rise today! Raise your banner in your heart once again that it may blow in the wind of God.

Regain the purpose of your heart, so that Christ may shine on you today, and always.