Why is it time to get up
There is a word that has been sitting on my heart and maybe even yours.
The word is URGENT.
What does that word mean?
‘requiring immediate action or attention’ ‘(of a person) earnest and persistent in response to a pressing situation;
Some synonyms are: crucial, desperate, high-priority, vital, haste
The word that I go to here is VITAL.
Before an assessment can be made what do nurses do before the doctor comes in to diagnose or recommend, they check your vitals. To be seen and treated correctly, we need to be assessed correctly or we will remain in the same condition as we came in.
Which bids me to ask, what condition are you in? How are your vitals? Are you in haste to know what state you are in so you can know how to move forward?
Take some time and read 2 Corinthians 13:5-11
“Test yourselves to see if you're in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? unless you fail the test. And I hope you will recognize that we ourselves do not fail the test.” v.5-6
First of all, how do you test yourself?
Some questions we can ask are:
Do we enjoy sweet fellowship with God?
When I sin what is my attitude? Am I concerned, do I repent and go and seek accountability?
Do I pray in such a way where I truly rely on the Lord? Do I go to him first or do I turn to the world first?
Do I read God’s word in such a way where I let it marinate and desire to implement it all in the areas where I know the Lord is bidding me to allow Him to mold and shape me to look more like Him?
Do Christ followers see fruit of Christ working in me? Does the world see the difference in me?
DOES MY TALK MATCH MY WALK…
So, why do we test ourselves to see if we are in the faith? We test ourselves that we may know where we are in Christ, so that we can rest and know without a doubt that we are in right standing with God, that we are “increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
What does increasing in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man even look like?
In Luke 2 we read about the birth of Jesus, the obedience of his parents Joseph and Mary. We see how they left everything to follow the Lord God though it looked crazy, they did it because they could not deny the voice of God. We see even in verse 25 the cherry on tops of their obedience, we see Simeon, a man who knew because of the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Messiah, he was guided by the Spirit to the temple where Jesus was being circumcised, he rejoiced, and was now at peace to leave earth. Is it not crazy that we can have that same peace today? We can be at peace in the truth that Jesus came, died and rose again so that we may live in Christ here on earth and for eternity. We can live at peace because of the fact that this place is temporary and our Great King is preparing a place for us, a place that we will never get bored of, a place where there will be no weeping, no pain, no scrapes or bruises, no eating disorders, no cancer, no RSV, no death, or fear of car accidents, nothing of the uncertainties that we face here. I don’t know about you but I cannot imagine or even begin to understand how that will all look like.
Increasing in wisdom is sitting like Jesus did despite His clear understanding and answers that amazed those who listened to Him and his parents, mind you he was 12 years old.
We see Jesus in Luke 2:45-46, at the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. This is how we grow in the understanding of the Gospel of God, by sitting in the word, writing down our questions, giving them to the Lord, and asking those who are a little further along in their walk with God.
What were you doing at 12 years old?
In His commentary for Luke 2, David Guzik says, “When we realize the impressive intellectual insight and analysis of Jewish Rabbis, this is impressive. This is something like a middle-school child discussing physics with a rocket scientist. Jesus did have a unique advantage, having a special relationship with the writer of God’s Word.”
What does growing in stature look like?
First off, what does stature mean?
Stature does not only mean your height, growth, what you look like physically. Stature also means; importance or reputation gained by ability or achievement, even being distinct.
In Acts 4:13, one of my favorite verses which says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Being with Jesus transformed them in such a way where those who were educated were I shock. When you are with people, do they take note of your life, do they see God’s grace and love through your words and actions?
Favor with God and man.
What does this look like, to have favor with God?
Plain and short, it is to have a close intimate relationship with God. We can only do that by spending time with him just like any relationship here on earth. The only way to grow in relationships is by spending time together, growing in such a way where you know each others needs and heart aches, where you know that if something were to happen to you they would be there to walk with you. Jesus grew just like we are growing. To grow in favor with man looks like spending time with people. Getting to know them. Showing grace and mercy, opening your home, being honest with one another and whether disagreeing with one another there is still the love of God that surpasses all.
So the question is, why is it time to get up from your slumber?
BECAUSE JESUS IS RETURNING FOR HIS CHURCH.
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE FOUND NOT BURNING.
WE WANT TO BE FOUND FAITHFUL AND LIT.
THE ONLY WAY TO BE FOUND FAITHFUL AND LIT IS BY ABIDING IN CHRIST AND BEING FUELED BY HIS GOODNESS IN OUR LIVES & OTHERS.
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-2/
