Are you alert? Do you stay alert at all times? Do you slip up? Are there times when you fail to be aware of what is important? Are there times when you are asleep at the wheel? Do you wake yourself up and focus again? Does it wear you down by staying alert?
Remaining alert at all times can wear us down, especially if we are not trained to do so. But we can train ourselves to remain alert. We can make being alert second nature for us. It is not easy. It doesn’t happen quickly. It is a process we must undertake and be disciplined enough to follow through.
I learned to remain alert while in the Marines. The use of peripheral vision became second nature. Being aware of the situation, who was within my sight, listening for anomalous sounds, and being ready to act was drilled into me. I am even more aware when traveling to places I am unfamiliar with. Yet, even with years of training, I can become complacent when being in familiar places. It is a constant battle and requires continuous discipline to remain alert.
Jesus says we are to remain alert. We are to continually keep our focus on Him. We must not allow our guard to come down when it comes to straying away from Him. Why? We do not know when He will return. We do not know when He will call us home to be with Him. Jesus even stated that He does not know when He will return (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, we are to remain alert, focused on Jesus, rather than focusing on this world.
I pray we all train ourselves to remain alert. I pray we remain aware of what is happening around us. I pray each one of us choose to focus on Jesus rather than on this world. Remain alert. Be aware. Focus on Jesus. Discipline yourself to be alert. Ask the Spirit to help you focus.
Matthew 25:13 “Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
