Wake Up Call

Ever miss an important meeting or appointment because you were late, due to repeatedly hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock?

The fact is—it's just too easy to hit that button.

The very thing which was carefully designed to keep us from getting up late—the snooze button—actually enables us to keep procrastinating from what we already know we are supposed to be doing—which is getting up out of bed.

And yet, the average person probably pushes their snooze button 3-4 times every morning.

We just don't want to get up and go to work. 

Figuratively speaking, think of all the times you push the snooze button each day in your life—such as in your relationships; with your children, or especially in your marriage.  You know how important it is to spend quality time with those people that you love most.  You have to invest yourself deeply into other peoples lives.  And you know when your love deposit is past due in your loved ones emotional bank account. The countenance on your spouses face says it all... "Insufficient Funds!"

Time to wake up. Get up out of your bed, put your feet on the floor and love your spouse sacrificially.

If you continue to haphazardly push the snooze button in your marriage relationship—you may find that one day you'll wake up and your spouse will be gone.  They left while you were snoozing.  

Think about what most blesses your spouse.  

What is his or her love language? If you don't know what the Love Languages are, please check out the following link.  http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

What words or actions on your part make your mate feel most loved, valued and appreciated?  Is it acts of service?  Then get up early and make your wife coffee and an omelet and surprise her with it, along with a fresh flower or two in a small vase.

Is it words of affirmation?  Then be intentional about inviting your husband to go on a long walk and tell him how much you appreciate how hard he works to support you and the family, and how much you feel loved and safe because he is your faithful protector. 

Is your mates love language physical touch?  

You get the point.

You know your spouse better than anyone.  Seek to really learn and know their love language and then fill their cup to overflowing. They'll truly be blessed when you do.

Now, let's go deeper and ask ourselves the really tough question—how many times a day do we push the snooze button in our relationship with God?

Kinda hits you where you live, doesn't it? 

If it doesn't, it should.

Think of all the times that the Lord has spoken a gentle whisper to your heart to come spend time with Him, and yet you put Him on hold because you would rather read the morning paper.  Or of all the times He wants to show you more of Himself in His Word, but you would rather watch your favorite television show.

Jesus gave all of Himself for us.  He willingly sacrificed His life on a torturous wooden Cross, originally designed for the worst of the worst criminals.  It was a device of death made to shame its victim, and inflict the most intense suffering possible. 

And yet, so often, we treat the One who loved us and gave Himself for us like the family dog that we once loved when he was just a puppy, but as he grew older and we became increasingly  bored with him, we now put him out in the garage and we neglect him.

How's your relationship with Jesus today?

Is He truly first in your life?  Are you passionately seeking to love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Think about Jesus' love languages?

1.  Love Him first and foremost.

"You shall love the Lord your God, with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." - (Mark 12:30)

2.  Love His people. 

"And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." - (Mark 12:31)

3.  Trust completely in Him.

"But without faith, it is impossible to please Him." - (Hebrews 11:6)

In today's busy, modern world, with its many enticing temptations and distractions, we tend to take our relationship with God far too casually.  We let other things and other people get between us and God and we conveniently push the snooze button in our relationship with Him.

But if we will carefully look back, and remember all that He has done in our lives, and thank God for forgiving us of all the wrong we have done, we will be set free to love God and love people again, because as Jesus said,

"He who has been forgiven much, loves much."

That's me, and that's you.

We have been forgiven of much.  Love covers a multitude of sins. Freely have we received God's love and grace.  Now go freely give it away.

    

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.