Jump Start # 3617
1 Thessalonians 5:8 ”But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
A word that we don’t hear much these days is being “sober.” Most times that word brings up the idea of alcohol and drunkenness. A sober person is one who is not intoxicated. And, with that, we put that word on the shelf of our minds and it stays there. But, throughout the N.T., as in our verse today, the word sober is used not in connection with drinking but with alertness, attentiveness and seriousness.
One of the qualities of a shepherd is that he be sober. Both Peter and Paul use this word to describe the character of a disciple of Christ. He is sober. He is clear headed. He is serious about going to Heaven. He is, as the Lord told us, watching, careful, alert to the things around him.
And, that quality flies in the opposite direction that our culture goes. Don’t be so serious, people say. Chill out. Take a chill pill. And, laughter, laughter, laughter is flavor of the month. Funny shows on TV. Funny videos on YouTube. Jokes. Pranks. Just laughing your way through life. There is little room for soberness. I’ve noticed even in funerals these days, many no longer cry. They want funny stories.
As disciples, we must take soberness off the shelf and add it to our lives. This does not mean we walk about with a sour look upon our faces. It doesn’t mean we dismiss happiness and laughter. But, it shouldn’t be one or the other—laughter or seriousness. We’ve got the laughter part down pretty good. What we need are some serious thoughts. Serious conversations. We need some soberness in our lives.
Here’s why:
First, Satan would have us to believe that none of these things really matter. Don’t get so serious about faith. It’ll all be ok in the end. By doing this, he shifts the most important things to the back burner. Having fun on the weekend is more important, Satan will tell you, than worship. You can worship anytime, he has you believing. Doing what you feel like doing is much more important than serving others. That’s Satan’s message.
Go to church, but find preachers that make you feel good. Preachers who act like stand up comedians are much better than hearing old fashioned doctrine. That’s what Satan wants.
Second, Satan loves distracting you. There is so much to do and thinking about your soul, righteousness and fellowship can always wait. The ballgame is on TV. Your friends want you to go golfing. The kids want to see a movie. Run. Run. Run. And, at the end of the day, you are too tired to read the Bible and not in the mood to pray. Do it in the morning, your mind tells you. But, in the morning, there is so much to do. And, soberness and seriousness about our walk with the Lord gets kicked down the road once more.
Who wants to talk about their soul, temptation and how to grow in Christ, when we can talk about the Dodgers? What does this verse mean or who did the Dodgers buy this week? About the only subject we get serious and sober is talking about whether or not the President will stay in for the election.
Distractions—they can sure take our eyes off the road. This is why we have signs about deer crossing and falling rocks. Pay attention when you drive, is what we tell new drivers. Keep both hands on the wheel. Turn the music off. Focus. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual walk, we need someone telling us the same things.
Third, it’s those who have paid attention to their souls and walk that seem to be so confident, sure and focused. Their lives seem to be all together and our lives look like puzzle pieces in a box. Why is it that way? They have learned when and how to be serious. They have learned to be sober about their walk with the Lord. They have see through the fog that Satan covers our eyes with.
We are of the day—don’t forget that.
Roger