A Wake-up Call

A Wake-up Call

“Why all this stress on behavior? Because, as I think you have realized, the present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality.” (Romans 13:11, Philips)

In his book, “Tender Warrior”, author Stu Weber poses the question “how many times can a man hear a wake-up call without waking up? Some men, I suppose, never

do.” Men, we are living out an important time of our lives. If we listen to the culture around us and don’t hear the clarion call from God to “wake-up my sons” I have to believe it is because we are not listening for the Spirit of God. When the world is adrift in moral behavior that is an abomination to our Holy God, and we shake off the call to wake-up, we must ask what it will take to shake us awake?

When a culture is unwilling to define the question, “what is a woman”, and I said, unwilling, not unable, we are in danger of sleeping through the moral crisis that is very much “awake” today. Isn’t it ironic though that we refer to that culture as “woke” despite the protests from within, that the term doesn’t fit their philosophy?

What is or what was your wake-up call brother? Have you experienced a life changing event when you recall making a dramatic change of direction in your life? Do you live differently today than before that wake-up call? I would suggest that if not, then you didn’t heed the wake-up. Weber gives his own account of two very real circumstances which led to a radical change of direction in his life – changed for good.

Weber suggests “that at the heart of a major wake-up call is the question, what really matters” [to you]. No one can answer that question for you. God asks, and we answer. Sometimes we even use words, at other times we demonstrate what really matters through our actions. If we as men are to really and truly wake-up to what God is calling us to do, we need to spend time considering what God requires of us.

Does God call us to be godly men? If yes, what is a godly man? If you think He only calls pastors and elders/leaders to be godly, you are solely mistaken. Of all the characteristics of a man of God, the one that stands out here is that the man of God devotes himself to God. But wait, before you start to define the word using the word, let’s examine what devotes means. To devote oneself to something or someone, means “to give all or a large part of one’s time or resources to a person, activity, or cause.”

If we as men are to be of godly character, that is, devoted to God, we must answer the question, “are we fully devoted to God?” Please don’t confuse the question. This is not speaking of a measurable degree of time or effort, but to the very intent of the heart – your heart. Is God the central focus of your life regardless of your vocational calling. Does your wife see your devotion to God? Do your children, and your grandchildren, see your devotion to God? Obviously, there is much to consider in the matter, but allow me to close by asking you a beginning question. Is this article your wake-up call?

Pastor Dan Coffin, March 2024