Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Brother John, Brother John….

Do you remember this children’s song which you can probably sing in both English and French? Today I am wondering, “Are you sleeping, Sister Lynn?” I used my own name but perhaps yours could fit there as well. As believers, are we sleeping?

Is there a spiritual slumber that pervades our nation and churches? Have we been lulled into a drowsy condition by ease and apathy? Has this become acceptable, so we don’t even realize our lethargic state? A similar problem occurred with the nation of Israel described in Isaiah 29:10-13, “For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes…because this people draw near to me with their words and honor me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.” In the book of Jeremiah, they “walked after emptiness and became empty.”

How do I wake up?

I pose many questions but have not figured out the answers.  I found Jonah who was sleeping in a ship where he was running from God. I observed 3 of the disciples dozing at the time Jesus had asked them to keep watch with him. Eutychus fell asleep and right out the church window to his death. (Fortunately, Paul went down to revive him.) We are clearly warned of the dangers of falling asleep, but how do I overcome this state of my spirit not being fully awake?

I think the letters to the churches in Revelation offer a starting place. Repent! Realize this way of living is not okay. Then, maybe the rest of is up God. Can these bones live (wake up)? Yes, as God breathes life into them. God breathe new life into me. Revive me. However, when I feel the nudging of His Spirit to awaken, I have to get up and not roll back over to keep cozily cocooned  in dreamland.