Wake Up

A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:24

"Hey, so, I actually decided to start after fall break." The boy intended logic, but the guilty tone revealed a heart I knew well.

He had been asking me for months to help him get in shape, and now he was pushing it out again.

As the Thursday weight room supervisor, I stood alone in the gym, hungrily surveying the instruments of fitness. One wall dared me with dumbbells, resistance bands, and a cable machine. Another boasted two squat racks and exotic cardio devices I would have loved as a teenager.

The concrete ledge for pullups and the dusty floor for pushups that composed my childhood "gym" in India made this room seem too good to be true. Even so, it sat, deserted.

But why? I knew at least a dozen kids at the school who had aspirations to become great athletes—several of whom had specifically asked me to train them. Where were they?

They had the free opportunity I dreamed of as a child, and instead of grasping it, they contented themselves with, "not now, but one day..."

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Maybe it seems harsh to blame a teenager for not having the discipline to achieve the muscular goal he desires. But I do not really care that deeply about physical transformation. Instead, I believe this velleity mirrors many believers, myself included.

We are very easily charmed into pursuing a surrendered life to Jesus. An emotional worship song, a powerful sermon, or even a stronghold of sin can bring us to our knees in a window of clarity. But very rarely does such conviction last beyond momentary inspiration.

Our eyes quickly shut, resuming an imagined reality. Life goes on, wasting away until the next abrupt awakening, when we will again glimpse the gospel.

The truth is, we have dozed off. We have forgotten to keep watch with Jesus in the garden. We have been satisfied in feasting with Him, but now, we nap. The world has gotten hold of us, binding a sleeping mask to our eyes and blinding us to what really matters.

We squander money on the security of life here while leaving our heavenly banks penniless. We have bought into the deception that a life well lived is one of worldly possession and earthly perfection.

I don't mean to simplify these things as sinful, let alone without purpose. But here's a question: Does your life, from the biggest to the smallest decisions, reflect a recognition of eternity?

In light of the truth you claim to believe, what are you doing? Do you spend all your time chasing money? Have you idolized relationships, bowed to career, or served self? Do you care more about what others think than the very God who spoke life into you?

We confidently claim Jesus to be the only one who fulfills, while our lives demonstrate a radical pursuit of counterfeit contentment. We need to breathe Spirit-filled oxygen, and we have surrounded ourselves with a forest of plastic trees.

Jesus promises eternal life to come, and most of us are living with our eyes fixed only on this one moment.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you to meditate on whether or not you have found treasure in Jesus. The more I reflect on the promise of the gospel, the more I am inspired to give my all.

Can you imagine kneeling before God at the end of the age, in a moment of utter clarity, realizing for the first time that nothing on earth besides Him actually mattered?

I want to have left nothing on the table, invested every talent He gave me, and spent my body in radical obedience. I want to run this race not for the temporary splashes of tasty water or for the fleeting bites of sugary snacks on the way, but for the feast at the finish line.

Why are you chasing this world? Why do you live for passing things?

Wake up, turn to Him, and make now the time. Stop nodding off to sleep, and surrender yourself fully to Jesus.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Matthew 13:44-46

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:15-17

This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:14-16