April 17, 2023
Fully Alive
Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
Remain in me, as I also remain in you (John 15:4a NIV).
Friend to Friend
The first time I went to a drive-in theater I was about six years old. The motion pictures on the reel that night were not just exciting – they were epic. A double feature of Godzilla and Star Wars. It was a rare treat for our young family. With five kids and an educator’s salary, movies were a luxury.
The details of that evening are foggy, but there are several things that I remember. Daylight ended as Godzilla began. Dad went to get popcorn while mom spread a blanket out and helped the three oldest littles get to the best vantage point for the show: the roof of our station wagon. Pillows were handed up to the roof perch and we settled in as freaky monsters took over the screen.
After the monster business finished, I got cozy with my pillow and faced the screen belly down, toes in the air. I was ready for the force to be with me. Ready to experience an exciting adventure with handsome heroes, odd creatures, rowdy robots, and a brave, beautiful princess all from a galaxy far, far away.
Anticipation skyrocketed as the movie started and the music rose.
Oh, the music!
The Star Wars theme song elevated every ounce of my heart and stirred my eagerness into a barely containable tizzy. Do-do-do-dooooo dooo, do-do-do-dooooo dooo, do-do-do-dooooo dooo, do-do-do-dooooo! I was such a big kid on top of our station wagon watching a movie! And we had popcorn! Real movie theater popcorn…that my older brother was hogging… (Anyhoo…)
As the battle between darkness and light began to heat up, I met the main characters one by one: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Hans Solo, Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2, and, of course, the mean man in black, Darth Vader.
Aannnndddd then I fell asleep.
Missed most of the movie.
Woke up to mom telling me to climb down from the roof because it was time to go home.
Noooooooooo!
I’m still in therapy over that sleepy situation. How could I possibly doze off in the middle of one of the most thrilling nights of my entire six-year existence? My heart hung low with disappointment. I was there, but I missed the movie marvelousness.
Sigh.
It doesn’t take a napping nightmare for us to fall asleep during the marvelousness you know. Sometimes I fall asleep to the vibrant connection between God and me because I get lazy, too tired, or too busy to pray. I get too comfortable with a sleepy faith and doze, doze, doze while my Bible collects dust. I get distracted by matters that will fade like flowers and wither like grass. My soul yawns and runs all around town wearing jammies and fuzzy slippers.
Have you been there? Join me today in a soul mutiny against sleepy faith!
Jesus invites us to connect with Him continually. He wants us to be fully alive in Him. He said it this way, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). He also called out the complacency of the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3, and He calls us beyond lukewarm living to a vibrant, white-hot faith so our lives can be maximized for His glory!
Thankfully, Jesus extends grace – even to us sleepy faith girls. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:19-20).
Ultimately, if we want a faith that’s wide open and fully awake to the glory of God, we have to connect our souls to Jesus.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I’m sorry for the times when I doze off to Your glorious presence. Thank You for being a God of restoration and relationship. Thank You for Your Word and Your kindness that leads me to repentance. Help me to be fully alive to Your love and leading today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
On a scale from 1-10, how sleepy is your faith? Meet us in the comments section of this post to share your heart and pray for one another.
More From the Girlfriends
Today’s post is an excerpt from Gwen Smith’s book, I Want It ALL. Ready to narrow the gap between ordinary faith and the not-so-ordinary promises of God found in His Word? Order yours today from Amazon, Gwen’s website or from your favorite retailer.
© 2023 by Gwen Smith. All rights reserved.
