The Sleeping, Stupid Heart
—Jesus Made Me Understand My Life
We've considered the self-centred and short-sighted heart. Now let's think about the sleeping and stupid heart.
To appreciate what we have been talking about, you must be spiritually awake and aware, not sick and asleep (1Corinthians 11:30). The scripture uses many words to describe the stupor of spirit affecting so many today. Sleep, sickness, slowness, sloth, coldness, death, and so forth.
Changing the Sleeping, Stupid Heart
1 Be a Watcher
God’s word urges us to wake up to ourselves. Yet many of us go through day after day unmindful of God's purpose for us and his coming judgment upon us. To live like that is plainly stupid. There should be a flame in our hearts, because there is surely a flame in hell. "Take heed, be watchful, for you do not know when the time might be" (Mark 13:33).
- Watch and pray (Matthew 26:41)
- Watch and remember (Acts 20:31)
- Watch, stand fast (1Corinthians 16:13)
- Watch with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2)
- Watch and be sober (1Thessalonians 5:6)
- Watch and strengthen (Revelation 3:2)
- Watch in all things (2Timothy 4:5)
2 Stop Saying “Huh?”
If you asked a strong Christian who is full of the Holy Spirit, "What concerns you most about your society in general, and your church in particular?" what do you think she would say? Would she mention immorality, the crime rate, materialistic consumerism, the trend to paganism, the divided and ineffectual churches, degradation of the environment? More likely she'd talk about the 'Huh' factor.
It's the spiritual equivalent of the problem we sometimes experience with a teenager. You ask, "Is there any mail in our box today Fred?" He says, "Huh?" You say, "Pass the salt please Fred." He says, "Huh?" You say, "Is it OK if I use the bathroom now Fred?" He says, "Huh?" You say, "Hey, Fred! A volcano has erupted right outside our door and it's raining frogs." He says, "Huh?" You whisper, "Fifty dollars Fred?" He says, "Gee thanks! You couldn't make it a hundred could you?"
Spiritually "The Huh Factor" means that when you try to talk to people about God, sin, heaven, the cross, the church, death, love, truth, prayer..." about all you get is, "Huh?" Incomprehension. A switched-off, dazed, darkened heart that refuses to realise.
3 Stop Living in Two Dimensions
Do you live in a two-dimensional world like that? The first dimension is "me" and the second dimension is "mine". God has no place in the scheme of things. His purpose, the kind intention of his will, is unrealised, unseen, unembraced.
If only you could be awakened and taught what life could be... forever!