Stop Hitting the Snooze Button on God

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall … ” (2 Peter 1:10).

You know that feeling when the alarm rings and inwardly you groan? It seems like you just laid down five minutes ago. You stretch like a feline under the covers, and you just know you cannot get up. Not yet. But you have that big meeting at work today, so you cannot stay in bed either. Five more minutes, you think.

You hit the snooze and settle back in. One snooze leads to another and soon you’ve hit it 6+ times. When you look at the clock and realize what you have done, you are dreadfully late. You spring from the bed and catapult into the shower. Hair half combed, clothes slightly disheveled, you head for the car with no lunch. You walk into your meeting with less than a minute to spare.

Meeting over, you’re starving. You have to run out and get some at lunch. That might make you late for your afternoon deadline but if you don’t eat something, you are going to get a headache. You have no choice. All day you rush from one thing to the next. The tone for the day? Set with just that one movement of reaching over to hit snooze. Tomorrow, you vow, will be different! You’ll avoid snooze!

Today I want to talk about God and what He has called you to be. Each one of God’s children has been called for a purpose. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

I believe that just as God called out to Jeremiah, He says something similar to us today. It might be, “Before I formed thee, I ordained thee a wife, a servant and a blessing to the man I have given thee.” Or maybe, “Before I formed thee, I ordained thee a nurse, an instrument of my healing hands to offer comfort and sweet care to the hurting.” Perhaps, “Before I formed thee, I ordained thee a bank teller whose gentle smile and constant joy can shine a light to those trapped in the dark world around you.”

Have you embraced your calling or do you reach for the proverbial snooze button in life? Do we say to God, “Next year I will serve as youth leader. When things slow down, I’ll make it a priority to reach out to my widowed neighbor. When I’m not so exhausted, I’ll serve you, and I’ll be a better wife, a better father, a better light.” Just as hitting the snooze button set a day of disaster and disorganization into place, hitting the snooze button on God’s calling can cause disaster.

Christian Brothers and Sisters, I want to remind you that people all around us are lost. They are lost. They are dying. They have an eternity in hell waiting. We may not have a tomorrow to reach out and serve them. Listen for God’s calling. Let Him lead you to the one’s who need to hear your message, feel your love, see your light. Let Him give you the words to say. Let’s encourage each other to fight the good fight, to press onward. And some sweet day, maybe we will meet up there–you, me and the one who God had you reach out to!

What’s your calling? Where has God placed you to be a light? How do you resist the urge to hit snooze but rather embrace the calling He has given?