He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
1 Thessalonians 5:10 NIV
Awake or Asleep
Every one of us has time during the day when we get sleepy. The Sleep Foundation gives some good advice for staying awake when you’re weary. First, have a consistent wake up routine – get up each morning at the same time – and get some sunshine as soon as you can after waking up. During the day, take time for a walk, and eat a healthy snack. And take some time to grab a short nap – having a siesta is actually very healthy and helpful.
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There are people who see Jesus as their teacher, a wise rabbi who came to teach some great principles to live by. They live by the golden rule of treating others as they would want to be treated – after all, they say, that is part of many world religions. This is all well and good, and Jesus is a great teacher, and the principles He taught belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. But if that is as far as you take Jesus, you have missed the most important part of His coming. In 1 Thessalonians 5:10 we read: “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” Jesus did not die merely to improve our lives or to give us better principles to follow. He died for us — in our place, carrying our sin, bearing our shame — so that we might live with Him. Because He died for us, we do not face today alone. Because He rose again, we do not face eternity with fear. The Christian life is about living in fellowship with Jesus now with eternity guaranteed.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley