It has become more apparent to me lately that I must remain alert and vigilant in my walk with God.  This means that I am to keep my heart and mind focused on him.  There are times when it is easy to drift  into careless wanderings with my mind, that then begins to effect my heart, where my deepest desires reside.  So I encourage any man reading this blog today, not to get lazy, allowing your mind to wander.  If you allow yourself to listen to your heart, your deepest desires are for God.  Nothing else will satisfy.  I personally have been learning to focus on the beauty of the Lord. 

Listen to these words from Paul (Romans 13:11-14 – the Message).  “But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day to day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.  The night is about over, dawn is about to break.  Be up and awake to what God is doing!……We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence…..Get out of bed and get dressed.  Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute.  Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!”

When it comes to our mind, the will become very important.  By now, those of you who read this blog, know that I have a concern for men trying to hard to be good, wanting to please God, by doing something about their salvation.  We have to be set free from this performance trap.  On the other hand, we do have a will, by which we make choices.  With the will we will determine the habits and disciplines that we will practice.

So when it comes to dozing off, we have to determine in our minds that we will not let ourselves relax and let down our guard.  Our practice daily should be that of putting on Christ.  We determine to want to follow and listen to Jesus.  This takes practice.  It becomes a habit.  If not, our minds drift and we waste precious time on thoughts that dull the awareness of God in our lives.  So brothers, let us not doze off.  As an act of your will ( picture it in your imagination) get up and put of Jesus.  You are his and he lives in you.  He will help you with your thoughts and responses to the challenge of your day. 

Don’t let your mind wander.  But when you do, don’t beat yourself up.  Get up, start again, by dressing yourself anew in Christ.  Ask him to give you the grace and strength to respond as he is leading you to respond.  Don’t “squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence.”