Awake and Ready

Have your parents ever said, “Get up! Get up! It’s time to get ready.”

My guess is, they have said something similar to that. Possibly, your parents started saying this, but now it is a roommate, a spouse, or children trying to get you out of bed and get the day going.

Stuff awaits. For some of you, business. Others, school. Still others, activities with friends or family.

We get up and get going – even on a Saturday – because there is stuff to do.

Well, add the Apostle Paul to the list of people who have told you to get up and get ready. In fact, as you will see below, the question for each one of us is, Are we awake and ready?

Awake and Ready

The Apostle Paul seeks to motivate the Roman Christians in Romans 13. In this portion, Paul uses the metaphor of getting up and around because it is the morning. Check out what he says:

¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:11-14)

Did you notice how Paul exclaimed to Wake Up and Get Ready?

Why Wake Up and Get Ready?

Paul wants us awake and ready because Jesus will come back soon. Until He comes back though, there is work that must be done. All around us is a battle that must be fought. But, in order to fight that battle against the rulers of darkness, we must be up and ready.

We fight individually and as a group. Individually, we need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, walk properly, cast off the clothing of darkness, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts. We have a gap along the line. In the battle before us, we share a responsibility alongside everyone else. There is a spot on the line; a gap that must be filled. As we do our part, the entire corporate group gains strength. More importantly, God is honored since we do what God tells us to do.

As a child, how quickly did you get up?

When your parent used to try to get you up, how quickly did you respond? Did you get up quickly? Did you move? Were you the one whose mom or dad kept having to stop by and say your name one more time, or did you recognize the responsibility to get up and get going?

I hope spiritually that you, me, and everyone else is willing to awake out of our sleep and slumber, and get ready to do our part today – because Jesus is coming back soon and the day is at hand. So, up and at ’em!

Question 1: Do you have on the accruements of war or are you still in your night clothes? Are you prepared for your spot in the battle?

Question 2: Are you dressed for you day? Will you take time today to put on the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you awake and ready?