Awake, O Sleeper!

There are few people that really really know me, but those who do, know that I am a person often strongly lead by my heart. (This was a realization that was just recently brought to my attention by my mentor, Leah Taylor. Thank you for that, it's allowed me to look through things with a fresh perspective and better understanding of myself.) While many people take me as a strong, independent, firm young girl and can clearly see that I am quite outspoken and outwardly passionate about many things, I tend to take on burdens of this world far too often and become weighted down with sadness and a pain filled heart for the paths God's creations choose, including myself. I physically ache over it. Yes, I do have emotions, God did give us those.

I am by NO means anywhere near having it all "together" but I do try my best. Part of my prayers everyday for the past few years has been "Lord God, make me miserable in my sin and where I fail you and NEVER allow me to become tolerant of sin of any kind". While I fail him too often, as we all do, I go through a constant cleansing and purifying process of repentance, restoration, healing and forgiveness. Leah actually wrote a blog of this cleansing in an all too familiar way (click here Leah's Blog). So please do not misunderstand me, I am not being judgmental. I am merely being transparent and revealing what's on my heart. 

Far too often I find myself weeping over the choices people make and the numbing effect of sin that has saturated the population these days. I cannot scarcely understand even a teeny tiny itty bitty fraction of the pain that our Savior must endure looking upon us. The love He has for us IS truly incomprehensible. 

I do understand that I must hand over to God the burdens I take on for I am not equipped to deal with them, but oh my, is that difficult or what? I just want to reach out and help everyone. Okay, so sometimes I would rather reach out, grab ahold of them, shaking them by the shoulders proclaiming, "WHY.... DONT.... YOU... GET... IT?! Wake up! You were meant for more!"  Hello! Kathryn's flesh speaking! That, my friends, is one reason why I am thankful I am not God of this world. And you should thank him for that too! haha. 

I cannot make anyone understand that they only have one life to live or what they were created for. I can lead you to the water, dear one, but I cannot make you drink. May I ask, is it too much to request that you stop and take time to think about it? 

Recently, through many tears and prayer over these things, I lay in bed and God reminded me of Ephesians 5:1-20 Where Paul is writing to strengthen and encourage the church of Ephesus. Please please please take a minute to read it.

Ephesians 5:1-21 (New Living Translation)

 ¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. ³ Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. ⁴ Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. ⁵ You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
 ⁶ Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. ⁷ Don’t participate in the things these people do. ⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
 ¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. ¹³ But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, ¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
   “Awake, O sleeper,
      rise up from the dead,
      and Christ will give you light.”
 ¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul clearly states in verse 6 not to be blinded by those who are tolerant of sin and verse 7 instructs you not to be a part of that. I love the quote in verse 14 that states "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Yes, yes, yes!!! 

This passage is something we too should take to heart and act upon. You wonder how? God provides the holy spirit to enable us to love his way. We must push aside evil, fleshly desires and feast on the power of his new life! Deny your flesh, deny your flesh, deny your flesh and hand your will over to Christ.

When you fail, when you fall, when persecution strikes remember Psalm 71:19-21:

"Who is like you, God? 

²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, 

   many and bitter, 

   you will restore my life again; 

from the depths of the earth 

   you will again bring me up. 

²¹ You will increase my honor 

   and comfort me once more."

I have seen those troubles and bitter times, way more than I would like but I take comfort in KNOWING that my God will bring me back up and up I will go for this world is a dark place and I am called to be a light! I will strive to be just that, a light, set apart, no matter the persecution for I know my Lord will comfort me and bring me back up again. Remember Eph 5:8 " For you were once darkness but now you are light. LIVE AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT." As people who have the light of the Lord our actions and lives should reflect our faith. We should live above reproach, our lives a witness to God's goodness and grace. Oh thank you, Father, for your goodness and grace!

My hearts cry to you, beloved, is "Awake, O Sleeper. Rise up from the dead!" (Maybe that was Paul's way of "shaking" his people! No? Just a thought. haha)

Be aware of what you may be slipping into never becoming numb or tolerant of what is evil. 

JJ Heller, an artist I've recently been enjoying, sings these lyrics in her song "Back Home": "Don’t let your eyes get used to darkness. The light is coming soon. Don’t let your heart get used to sadness. Put your hope in what is true"

Awake, O Sleeper....