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Friday, May 11, 2012

Are You Awake? Are You Sure?

Sometimes, only the aroma of a strong, fresh, piping hot mug of coffee wakes me up. Sometimes, it's the sound of laughter, or screaming boys that should've stayed in bed longer.

What about you? What wakes you up? The piercing sound of an alarm clock? Or maybe you've tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep at all.

What about spiritually? What does it take to wake you up, spiritually? What does that even mean?

The center of a Christian's spiritual universe is the Gospel. Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and makes forgiveness available to all who repent and trust in Him. A clear conscience. Eternal life. What could be better than that? If you had the choice between a million dollars and forgiveness of sins, which would you choose? A lifetime of financial security, or Jesus?

Jared Wilson, in his book Gospel Wakefulness, offers you and me a spiritual wake-up call. He says that we may not be living in the center of the Gospel like we think we are. We say we're spiritual, play the part, and go through the motions of this "Christianity" stuff. But our lives may not be as Gospel-centered as they could be. Could he be right?

Wilson gives us 11 statements that help us determine for ourselves whether we're truly awakened to the Gospel or not. Could you really not be as Gospel-centered as you think you are?

How many of these statements are true of you?

1. The Gospel doesn't interest you that much, or other subjects (end times, for example) interest you more.
2. You take nearly everything personally.
3. You frequently worry about what other people think.
4. You treat inconveniences like minor or major tragedies.
5. You're impatient with people.
6. In general, you have trouble seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your life. (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, patience, and self-control).
7. The Word of God holds little interest.
8. You have great difficulty forgiving. You harbor a grudge.
9. You are told frequently by a spouse, family member or close friend that you are too clingy or too controlling.
10. You think someone besides yourself is the worst sinner you know.
11. The idea of Gospel Centrality makes no sense to you.

How'd you do? When I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, I realize how much damage my appearance has suffered from the night's "rest." As I look at my heart through this list tonight, I must admit that I look a lot like that man in the mirror.

How about you?

So, what can we do about this condition, then? We do this, every single day.

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