Snoozing Saints

The alarm goes off everyday. It is a new opportunity for us. We rise and we move to do what we have to each day. Most days—we want to sleep a little longer. Stay in our comfy zones, under the blanket…no rules and no regulations. We begin to hate the sound of the alarm. Our flesh begins to hate the work that we must do. It annoys our souls—but we have to work. Then we hit the snooze….sometimes once, twice, three times or for maybe even an hour strong.

To snooze is to sleep; slumber; doze or nap.

Many of us are sleeping on our callings and the true work that we have to do for the kingdom!

When we have those plunge moments, my heart grows sad. It does. I can imagine how Jesus felt after doing all those miracles and they still asked…”Well can you feed them?” We are so difficult, so uncontrolled and so blinded at times that we don’t even recognize our own flaws. We do however notice all the flaws of others quicker than our own.

There are so many scriptures that speak to this like Matthew 7:3, Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:29-39.

Jesus was always teaching about resiliance and our ability to handle situations with our actions. Not just by the heart. The heart speaks to how we feel, and concerns. Actions demonstrate all of that going on internally.

We need to move in a way that demonstrates character, consistency and resilience. An article from, “Leadership Insight” by A New Equilibrium states the following key statements on movement.

“What is resilience? Most say it is the ability to handle things. Actually, people readily connect the concept with resolve, endurance or strength–the notion of standing up to something. But what resilience really means at its core has nothing to do with that. Resilire, the Latin root word borrowed to create the concept of resilience, actually means “to jump or leap back” or “rebound”.
So at its core, resilience is actually about movement. It is about leaping, usually in a forward direction from where we currently stand. We all know that when we jump, we never land in the same place twice. It is about pushing yourself into the air in a definite and forceful way. We have to let go of the ground to experience that displacement. We make the choice to move from where we have been to where we want to go. We embrace the act of leaping in space regardless of what brought us to the need for action. Because we do not resign ourselves to standing still and continuing to expose ourselves to that inertia, enough we say! We are determined! And we take that leap.”
By Linda Cooper
http://www.anewequilibrium.org/

God wants us to take that leap. He wants to give us more but we are not allowing Him to do so by our actions—which speak a whole lot louder than words. It is about letting go of the current place when we want to get to the next place. LEAPING!

That is why we look to the book of Acts of the Apostles. We want to see what they saw and do what they did but keep coming up empty. Why? Because we are not doing what they did to obtain those results that brought mulititudes. They had a multitude mentality. Not one of self—and what we do for the moment. God wants action! They did it and saw it! They breathed it and lived it. They walked it and they demonstrated it. That is why a whole book was dedicated and written for our learning on building a church without walls. A body of Christ that loves God. A body of Christ that will stand in the gap. And a body of Christ that will demonstrate in their ways.

We want to see it…but will continue to be delayed unless we open our hands and surrender to the will of God. That takes work. And many are not willing to do so. Just as the Word declares that many are called and few are chosen [Matthew 22:14].

We cannot be snoozing saints! We can’t keep hitting the snooze button on our callings. The more that we snooze,  the more we will lose. The more that we snooze, the more time we lose. And instead of being strengthened –we actually grow more tired with each snooze. Until we finally get up all weary, dysfunctional and not as productive as we should be.

I have those lazy days too and it affects me quickly. So I have to fight it off faster. I can’t cave in to my own personal preferences rather than God’s purposes. There is a destiny that must be fulfilled. And this is not a message to throw stones, it is one to encourage each other to push through those lazy days as a body of Christ and stand valiantly. That happens when we stick together!

Just think of all the people that God needs you to reach everytime you snooze. I need you. We need you–but most importantly, God needs you! No more snooze. Let’s get to WORK! 🙂

How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:9-11 (New King James Version)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, 
for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (New King James Version)