#90 Somnambulance

1:John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

I can remember when I was growing up that I went over to a friend's house to stay over. When it was time to go to bed he warned me that if I heard someone up walking around it may be his dad sleep walking as he had a habit to do. Sometimes it turned out badly for his dad because he would trip over things and had been hurt more than once. I actually laid awake longer than I would have just because I wanted to see someone sleep walk. No one in my family did that; at least not that I had ever heard.

Sleep walking is actually referred to medically as somnambulance. It comes from the Latin words somnus meaning sleep and ambulare meaning to walk. It is estimated that 18% of the world's population is prone to sleep walking and children in the U.S. between 11-12 are most likely to engage in this activity with males being most likely to do so.

Obviously sleep walking can be a very serious thing and poses obvious health concerns, but I think there is an even greater danger in the world: spiritual somnambulance. Far too many people walk through day-to-day life separated from God and their danger ranges beyond potential falling hazards from walking around their home technically asleep. The dangers of spiritual sleep walking have eternal consequences.

Some might wrongly assume that non-Christians have the most to be worried about. Sadly, this is not true. As Jesus points out in Revelation, the person who faces the greatest spiritual danger and is perhaps the most deeply spiritually asleep is the lukewarm Christian. Note how in Revelation 3:15, 16 Christ says that because you are neither hot nor cold I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. If we are cold then we know we are lost. If we are on fire for Christ then we have that deep connection with Him. It's the lukewarm Christian who has lost their fire but is still in the church that is more lost than the non-believer because the lukewarm Christian knows better but is not living connected to the Lord.

We will not take time to explore the potential reasons for spiritual sleep walking, but rather let's focus on the answer to the problem: rekindling that first-love experience with Jesus. If we will regularly spend time in prayer, Bible study, and experience Christian fellowship we will have a recipe, so to speak, for spiritual success. Why? Because if we are praying in earnest each day then the Lord can speak to our hearts and continue to draw us closer to Him. If we read His Word then we can be shown His will for our lives, and if we spend time around like-believers then we can be challenged and held accountable by the body of Christ.

I firmly believe that if we practice the Christian life truly seeking God's will then He can and will lead us all the way to the promised land. Will you choose to live fully for Christ today? Will you allow Him to awaken you from your spiritual slumber? He is willing to bring us into His marvelous light if we will walk according to His word being led by the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father God,

Thank You for calling us to faithfulness. Thank You for calling us to live holy lives before You. Please forgive us where we have failed and awaken us to a new understanding of Your will that we might glorify You in all that we do. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.