How To Stay Awake

In chapter 14 of Pilgrims Progress, Christian and Hopeful are not out of danger yet. Hopeful is tied and wants to sleep on the enchanted ground.

I believe we have reached a similar place in our time of earth’s history; many Christians are spiritually asleep and do not even know, or care. Reading the Bible, and praying are something many Christians do, but in the process, there is a question many are forgetting to ask.

“How can I get closer to Him than yesterday, or last week?”

“How can I be like Him?”

This desire is almost non-existent in todays’ time. We have too many people looking back and admiring the relationship of ancient men and think that they can never have that same connection. Such mindset is that of a sleeping Christian.

How can I stay awake and be different? Let’s look at what Christian and Hopeful did.

1. Have A Friend

After Christian told Hopeful, “If we sleep here, we may never wake up.” This startled Him and made him resist even more the desire to sleep. Hopeful thanked Christian and after said to him,

“Your company has been a gift of mercy to me.”

Christian replied, “You have blessed me too.”

Have a friend whose heart set on going where you are going.

In Ecclesiastic 4:9-12 it says, “two are better then one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

• Two are better than one because if one falls, there is someone who can lift him up.

• Verse 10 pronounces a warning for anyone who walks alone, if they fall there is no one to help them rise?

• Moreover, having someone is better because they help you maintain your fire for God.

• Lastly, having someone means you do not have to fight alone. It is so easy when you are alone to fall into the trap of self-pity and think you are the only one suffering, but when you have a friend they help you realise you are not the first suffer this way, and in fact many who have gone before you God used a similar situation to bring them closer to Him.

  
  

2. You Have to Be Talking

To be with likeminded people is not good enough, I will explain.

I think I may have the fastest record, when it comes to sleeping, it takes no longer than a minute before I am out. When I used sleep over my friend’s house, they use to get annoyed at how quick I would sleep, because while they were in the middle of talking, they would hear me snoring. The solution was they had to get me talking or else, I would sleep on them.

And that is what Christian suggested to Hopeful, that they keep talking to overcome their drowsy eyes.

Hopeful then said.

"Indeed, I agree with all my heart,"

Then Christian asked? "Where shall we begin?

Hopeful replied, “Where God began with us."

Where is God leading you?

What has He been teaching you?

What do you desire Him to do for you?

Is there a difference from where you have come from to where you are?

These are excellent conversation starters that keep us awake when we are in the company of those whose heart is where we want to go.

The Enchanted Ground still exists today. If we are going to remain awake, we will need people who stir our hearts toward Christ and conversations that continually point us back to Him.