Lying Around

Have you ever thought about what a marvel sleep is?  I think of it as God's way of turning off the human machine, so that it can recharge.  In addition, sleep cleanses the human mind and the body, down to the cellular level.  Amazing!  Scientists have not yet determined all that occurs when we sleep.

There is such a thing as getting too much of a good thing, however.  One of the signs of depression, for instance, is sleeping too much of the time.  Sleep becomes an escape or avoidance mechanism, keeping the sick person from dealing with the real world.  Too much sleep is also a symptom of laziness, although I think that "lying around" might be a more apt description of what the scriptures intend in Proverbs 6:6-11(ESV)

6Go to the ant, O sluggard;

consider her ways, and be wise.

7Without having any chief,

officer, or ruler,

8she prepares her bread in summer

and gathers her food in harvest.

9How long will you lie there, O sluggard?

When will you arise from your sleep?

10A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

11and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

This is not to pick on modern ways at all; but, if we are honest, we will admit that "work" has changed a great deal in the past 50 years.  A huge amount of work has been transferred from the physical realm into the world of cyberspace, something King Solomon knew nothing about.  I don't think anyone would call the person who works at home in front of his computer "lazy" or as the Bible puts it "being a sluggard".  It is merely a different method of earning a living.

However, with the cyberworld at our fingertips (literally), it is seductive to jump into that world for pleasure's sake, when we should be doing something more productive.  Let's go back to the topic of sleep for a moment.

The human body is designed to wake with the morning light and to "head for the recharger" (the bed) shortly after dark.  God has given us the ability to manipulate that natural sleep cycle.  And, those who "work 3rd shift", for example in convenience stores and hospitals and factories, do so by necessity.  Huge kudos to them for their sacrifices!  Often, they do not get 8 hours of interrupted sleep, simply because they are trying to sleep while the rest of the world is up and about.  It's a huge challenge.

But, often (and honestly, this can occur via a good book, or even excessive knitting{!} so not picking on "technology" here) - - - we use our technology as an escape from other responsibilities, spending hours playing online games, immersing ourselves in virtual worlds, when that time could be put to much better use.  Often, we cheat our sleep to do this, and that is not only mentally unhealthy, we can reap negative consequences in our physical health.

All that being said, there are "morning people" and "night people".  As biological units (unique creations of the Master Creator, Jesus Christ), we usually figure out into which camp we fall. Furthermore, some of us need 8-10 hours of sleep each night in order to feel good and function at optimum performance.  Others, like my brother-in-law, can function perfectly well, thank you, on 4-5.  (I know you don't believe that, and it IS rare; but, he is in excellent health and has been doing this by his own choice for decades....)

God's creation is not perfect.  It became broken by sin, beginning in the Garden of Eden.  When Man fell, so did creation, and it has been "groaning" ever since (Romans 8:22).  Still, God's creation is pretty doggone marvelous!  You don't find many indolent, lazy ants, or bees (the Septuagint includes the example of industrious bees in vs. 11 of today's passage), or eagles or squirrels.  If they did not obey their God-ordained impulses to prepare for lean times, they would not survive!

The same scriptural principle applies to us as well.  If we spend all we have on the immediate, not saving for "a rainy day".... If we waste our health, not caring for it so that latter years can be enjoyed ... if we squander opportunities God puts in our path daily ... if we neglect our prayer life and Bible study ... will we then be prepared for when those times of testing and trial come?  No.  We won't.

So, I am going to think about this some more today and try to think more proactively, to use my time more wisely, to prepare for my future more intelligently, so that I can be of ultimate use to the Lord for as long as He allows me to remain here.   Here's one final thought....

The best "prep" or investment is in God's kingdom, serving others according to the spiritual gifts and earthly resources He has provided.  The ant, after all, worships God by doing what He created her to do and doing it with passion!  What a joy when each of us, God's own beloved children, can say and do the same!