Wake Up, Rise Up, Stand Up

I think it's safe to say that we all love sleep.  Maybe it's the brief escape from reality, maybe it's how it feels just so darn comfy, maybe it's the temporary respite from our troubles and cares, whatever the reason sleep holds a special place in the hearts of most people.

I like it too, although I tend to go to bed late and wake up earlier than necessary.  The problem with sleep though is that we get nothing done and we are apart from reality for a time and anything that ultimately matters.  Sleep is nice but it is not substantive, it is pleasant but not productive.

Why do I bring this up?  Because the world is slipping between the warm cozy blankets of willful ignorance and "tolerance", and it's bringing the church with it.  It's nice to banish the difficult and uncomfortable affairs of life for a few hours each night but disastrous when we refuse to take on the hard challenges during our waking hours.

I'm reminded of a particular scripture passage, Romans 13:11-14, where Paul warns the Roman church that the time for comfortable slumber is past and now is the time to stand and go to war.

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
(Romans 13:11-14)

Look at the words above!  The day is coming, the night is spent!  Walk now as one who is awake, not letting your mind and your will dissipate like a drunkard or one lost in their lusts!  We must "put on" Jesus Christ and forsake sin not allow for it.  We have to shed our old moldy robes and put on the armor of light.

We've gotten comfortable, with sin, with dissent, with lies, with misinformation.  We've gotten comfy and lazy and, well, cowardly.  The Bible calls us to stand firm.  It calls us to stand against armies, against ideas, against enemies; nowhere does it call us to lounge comfortably.

We are running out of time, there are precious few moments left to sit on the sidelines or worry about hurting someones feelings.  Now this doesn't mean that we don't act in love, it doesn't mean that we don't care for others it just means that their opinions don't really matter, their feelings don't ultimately matter.  What matters is the truth and nothing more.

We see people everywhere who call themselves Christians accepting sin and teaching things that just aren't true.  The Bible is compromised and God's truth is doubted or at worst ignored.  We as a people are more willing to accept sin than we are to stand for God!

There comes a time when understanding has really understand and when love has to be harsh.  There comes a time when to be right means to be decisive and to stand for truth means telling someone else that they are wrong!

So wake up, rise up, stand up and let the truth be your armor, let God be your general and get ready to march.  It's going to be uncomfortable, it will probably hurt, but nothing really ever comes by playing it safe.  Throw off the blankets and get dressed, the world is waiting along with everything that matters.