Crazy early in the morning

“How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?”
-Proverbs 6:9

My friends think I’m a little strange. More times than not, I’m up by about 6:30 on weekends. Work days, I’m up earlier, but even if I don’t have to be anywhere, I get up rather early.

A lot of it is from habit, but most of the reason I get up early is because I was saved out of what this verse is talking about.

When I first started college, I would sleep late in the day, didn’t really clean up much, and basically lived a very lazy life. I played a lot of video games, watched a lot of television, etc. To an extent, it got better when I got a job in the evenings, but I would end up sleeping later in the day to make up for the time I spent at work late at night.

I was a complete night-owl, and I tried to schedule absolutely nothing, even classes, in the mornings so I could sleep in. On weekends, unless I was working, I would barely leave the apartment. More honestly, I would barely leave the couch.

Over the years, God has used a lot of different events and situations to convict me of my laziness. By His grace, I’ve gotten a lot better. I don’t like wasting time now. I really want to get up and get working on whatever it is that needs done now.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not perfect in this area yet. I’ve wasted time this very day, and probably will tomorrow too. I’m still not taking exercise as seriously as I should (which is evident by the shape I’m still in). But the Spirit is working on me.

Laziness is a sin. We don’t really want to admit that staying in bed is sinful, but often it is. Not all the time – we do need to rest, but to overdo it is sinful. We were made to bring honor to God, and we use the time He gave us for entertainment or just slothfully laying around.

I’m not telling you this to guilt you into jumping up right now and taking a jog. That’s not what I want from this. What I want is for you to do the only worthwhile thing we can do with any sin – to confess it to God and to look to the Cross for forgiveness.

It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that changes us, not some pep talk. It is the work of that Spirit that forms us into something better, not self-help. Let’s face it, if we could really save ourselves, our lives wouldn’t look like they do. But in Christ, we can be reconciled with God.

I’m not talking about a prayer that will instantly make you thin. I wish! I’m talking about the conviction of sin that will bring about works in keeping with repentance. For me, being convicted over my laziness has resulted in me being a bit more careful with my time. It’s not something I have forced out of myself. Instead, it is the only thing I COULD do after being convicted by my sin.

It is the Cross that heals us. How long are you going to lay there? Repent and be forgiven!