“But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, ‘How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god!'” (Jonah 1:5-6)
There’s something unsettling about Jonah sleeping peacefully while everyone around him panics. The professional sailors are terrified, throwing cargo overboard, crying out to their gods, yet Jonah is snoozing below deck. He’s found a false comfort in his disobedience. This is the danger of spiritual slumber: we can become so numb to our avoidance of God that we rest easy in our rebellion. We scroll through life, distracted and disengaged, while God is trying to wake us up to what He’s doing around us and within us. The captain’s words ring like an alarm clock: “How can you sleep? Get up!”
Spiritual slumber looks like going through the motions without truly engaging with God or His mission. It’s summer break from life group, avoiding vulnerability in community, or ignoring the nudge to serve beyond one week a year. It’s knowing you should have that hard conversation but finding every reason to delay it. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” God doesn’t want us drifting through life at the mercy of the wind and waves. He wants us awake, alert, and actively participating in what He’s doing. The question isn’t whether God is moving; it’s whether we’re awake enough to notice and respond.
Reflect:
- In what areas of your spiritual life have you been hitting the snooze button?
- What would it look like for you to wake up and make the most of every opportunity this week
- Confess to God any areas where you’ve grown spiritually drowsy. Ask Him to awaken your heart to His presence and purpose, and to give you eyes to see where He’s working around you.
