Being Watchful and Alert
It was about the last thing I expected to see as I read the paper that morning. We had gotten up early to get a jump on our drive to Michigan to visit family and I was quickly looking at the newspaper while eating breakfast. The small article on the bottom of the front page caught my attention. There had been two sniper shootings in Indiana. As I read more, I learned that the shootings were along I-65 and I-69, both interstates we always take when driving to Michigan.
We tried to get more updated information from the television news and from local web pages but there weren’t really any further developments. We debated whether it would make sense to wait or if it made sense to take different roads but decided that since the news had said that there would be extra police presence, it would be safest to go the way we normally would go. The shootings had been at night and we decided it would be safe if we were to drive during the day.
We left and obviously there were no incidents but the trip up was more stressful than usual. Driving through Kentucky was fine but as soon as we entered Indiana we were very alert. I never realized there were so many overpasses in southern Indiana! The busy ones I drove under without much thought but the more remote ones I looked carefully at before we went under them. At one point I saw a man standing on one aiming something which turned out to be a TV camera but it certainly caught my attention. Another time a man with a bicycle had just stopped on the overpass and was sitting there. He probably had no clue what was going on but I’m sure I would not have seen that man otherwise.
Fear made us alert and very watchful. If we had not been warned of the danger and had not been fearful, we would not have been nearly as alert. We would have simply driven on through the state of Indiana being cautious of other drivers but of no other threats.
The Bible often warns believers to be watchful and alert. Jesus warns His followers to be alert and watching with respect to His coming again. In Luke 21:8, Jesus says, “Watch out that you are not deceived. for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ’The time is near.’ Do not follow them” Later on in that same chapter in Luke Jesus says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (verse 36) And in Mark 13:33, Jesus says, “Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come.”
The Scriptures also warn us as individuals to be watchful and alert with respect to our actions and beliefs. In 1 Peter 5:8 Peter writes, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And in 1 Timothy 4:16 Paul writes, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
I have to admit that it’s easy to coast through life like we’re driving down a familiar interstate, paying attention, but hardly being alert. This road trip to Michigan was a reminder to me that the life of a Christian is one that should be characterized by being alert and watchful.
We don’t know when Jesus is coming back and so we should be alert to his return and prepared fully for His coming again. And we should be watching and being alert in our lives and in our doctrine. Going through life on cruise control is not what God intends for His children. Let’s be alert but not afraid.
Pastor Jerry
August 2006
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