Why Am I Still Awake?

As you read this posting, you may wonder why I’m rambling and writing in fragments… Well, I am writing this blog at 2:11 am (EST) as I wait on my clothes to finish washing. Yeah, yeah, I know some of you are probably amazed that I even know how to wash clothes… Well, surprise, surprise, surprise (with Gomer Pyle accent)! Actually I am washing my hunting clothes as I get ready to leave for San Angelo, Texas to hunt the illusive South Texas deer! Every time I pull another pair of camouflage pants or a shirt out of the dryer, I get a little more excited… In my mind’s eye, I can already see the hunting stand, sitting on the edge of a sendero (a small road). I can hear the rooster crowing in the distance as the sun peeks up over the horizon. I can almost make out the faint silhouette of a monster buck ambling over the hill, headed straight to my stand! Oh my! I probably won’t get to sleep at all tonight! Fortunately I don’t have to drive the 20 hours it takes to get down to the hunting camp. A couple of the other guys have volunteered to drive, so I’ll sleep in the truck…
Can you imagine how profoundly our spiritual lives would be affected if we were just as excited about our walk with the Lord as I am about this hunting trip? How would our lives be changed if we were to get so fired up about our faith that we couldn’t sleep at night? What if we were to get so excited about digging thru the Bible that we couldn’t stop reading – absorbing every page like it was the new “Harry Potter” book that was just published… can you imagine the impact on our lives? What if we were so excited about worshipping with our brothers and sisters in the family of faith that we literally lined up outside the doors of the church before the service, waiting in line like we wait for a sold out concert or huge sporting event… The impact would be profound my friends. People would come to faith in Christ by the thousands. Factories, stores, local businesses, and schools would close their doors and leave signs that directed their customers to the church… The talk about what you’ll do on Friday, Saturday & Sunday wouldn’t be about going to the lake or going out to party with friends, it would be about where you’re going to worship with your friends. You say, “May! That’s crazy! Thankfully my life isn’t that boring!” But what if your walk with the Lord was that exciting?
I think it should be… I think it should be our first thought in the morning, our lingering thoughts during every part of our day, and the last thoughts that put us to sleep at night… Unfortunately that’s not the way it is with most folks…
Why has out faith become a part-time endeavor? Why do we treat our relationship with Christ like it’s a religious accessory, not the critical part of our life? Our attitude is, “Hey, I can live with it or I can live without it.” Where did we go wrong?
I used to get as excited about hunting in the mountains of Western North Carolina as I get now about hunting in South Texas. What happened to change my way of thinking? I got stuck in a rut. One man said, “A rut is a grave with both ends kicked out.” I got in a rut about hunting locally because it lost its excitement. When you get up 2 hours before day light, climb a tree in the middle of the woods in the dark and freeze your ears off without seeing as much as a scampering squirrel, you have a tendency to lose heart. You can read about all the experiences of other people, but that does little to keep you motivated when things are so dull in your own faith life.
And hasn’t that happened in a lot of our churches today? We go thru the motions… we climb up the trees of theology… we hang on the side of denominational doctrine… we read the Bible with an eye towards the future and we miss out on what God wants to do in and thru us today! As a result, we don’t get excited anymore because we’re stuck in a boring routine… And that’s a shame! That’s not what Christ intends! He is all about abundant life… I believe He is a passionate lover of your soul and His desire is that you’d have the same desire, passion, hunger, insatiable thirst for Him… The question is… Do you? Are you up at night sometimes thinking and praying about all the people you know that don’t have a relationship with Jesus? Are you so excited about gathering with your faith family that you come early, stay late, and leave charged up with an invigorated vision to change your world? If not… Why not? What happened to you passion? What is the desire and cry of your heart? Can you truly sing,
“It is the cry of my heart to follow You.
It is the cry of my heart to be close to You.
It is the cry of my heart to follow, all of the days of my life.
Teach me in Your holy ways, So I can walk in Your truth.
Teach me in Your holy ways, to be wholly devoted to You.
Open my eyes so I can see,
The wonderful things that You do.
Open my heart up more and more;
And make it wholly devoted to You.”
Is there anything we can do to change things? Yes! But it will only happen when we regain the excitement of following Christ actively. We must turn our passion around 180 degrees, focusing on what God has called us to do instead of what God has come to do for us… We’ve got to start dreaming again, about all the wonderful things Christ has invited us to join Him in doing… And then passionately pursue His heart, his calling, His holy ways. As we do, He’ll open our hearts up more and more and we’ll be changed by the power of His love for us. Are you ready for that? Pack your stuff… let’s go!

Posted in: Sold out; revival; hunting; pursuing Christ