Application: "High alert" is a difficult state of mind to maintain. The way our brains work, adrenaline will only get us so far, and then something has to give. We start out in "fight or flight" and then, over time, we get exhausted and complacent. Nine months into a deadly pandemic, I'm not the first one to make the observation that fatigue is setting in. How then does Jesus expect us to "be alert at all times" for his return?
How this shakes out for me is there's a big difference between "alert" and "worried." In fact, in this very passage Jesus compares "the worries of this life" with being drunk, as an obstacle to alertness. We tend to think that worrying about something that might happen prepares us for it. Usually, it doesn't. It's just a waste of precious mental space and spiritual energy. These days, due to gathering restrictions, we may have a less cluttered calendar, but our minds are as cluttered as ever, if not more so, with worry, and it's not helping us actually be prepared for the future. So, what if alertness looked less like dwelling on bad things that may or may not happen, and more like intentional time of clearing our minds, sitting with God's Word, letting it sink deep into our hearts, and letting tomorrow's worries take care of themselves? That would sober us up real quick, and in the best possible way.
Prayer: God, sit with me until I sober up. Let worries fall away. Let me fix my eyes and my heart on you, not in anxiety but in full trust in your presence. Amen.
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