Battling For Your Heart

This morning I was reading through Luke chapter 21. What stood out to me were the four things I found Jesus exhorting His disciples toward: stand firm, watch out, keep alert, and pray.

So what does this mean, and what does it look like for my life today?

I’ll start with the first: stand firm.

Jesus’ disciples were going to face adversity, persecution, and suffering. And so will we, if we choose to follow Jesus. For the disciples, during the times when the waters would rise, it would be the easiest to slip under, lose footing, get scared, succumb to doubts, or drift away. Jesus is urging them to stand firm in the face of whatever they would face. I believe this can apply to you and me as well.

There will be a lot of things that we face. Will we be men who remain faithful?

Watch out.

The second exhortation here is to watch out. Now, to me, this one seems to move inward—watching out that you don’t become spiritually dulled by things like pleasure, indulgences, or comfort; that your judgment doesn’t become impaired; and that you aren’t sucked away by the worries of life and the anxiousness they can produce.

Watch out that your mind isn’t occupied more with the things of the day-to-day than the things that really matter most. Watch out that you don’t drift spiritually.

Are you noticing a shift within you? Maybe toward doubt, discouragement, bitterness, resentment, or self-reliance? Pay attention to this.

Keep alert.

The third one: pay attention all the time. Be ready. Don’t let your guard down. Here I picture a watchman standing on post, watching over his city. It would be a critical mistake if he sat, let his eyes close, and dozed even for a minute. He’d be inviting the enemy right past his nose.

Again, here, what are the things that keep us men from being alert? What are the things that dull our level of alertness in life?

Is it the busyness of work? Schedules? The anxieties of bills? Finances? Concerns about your home? Or your family? Is something else keeping your eyes off of Jesus and pursuing a relationship with Him? Think through this.

And finally, pray.

And this is honestly maybe the one that’s easiest for me to miss. In Luke 21, Jesus encourages His disciples to pray that they will be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.

We are called to be men who pray—who pray that we will have enough strength to remain faithful and obedient and standing firm all the way to the end.

How often am I praying for this? Less often than I would like. And yet, from Jesus to Paul, those who speak in the Bible encourage us over and over again to continue praying.

So guys, for us, what are the things that lead us in the opposite direction of what Jesus encourages us and exhorts us toward? Is it discouragement in your life over your circumstances? Is it some kind of hurt you’ve experienced from a relational breakdown or someone you trusted?

Is it loneliness that’s been creeping in? Is it your own pride and self-reliance that is dimming your eyes to things that should really concern you? Is it distractions, the pursuit of comfort, pleasure, anxiety, or temptations?

Or is it just “busyness” and being overwhelmed? You’ve got too much happening and not enough time to spend in the stillness alone with God and in His Word? Are you cruising through life, just surviving?

Guys, you’re in a battle for your heart. Spiritual apathy is dangerous.

Yeah, you may say, “I’m saved. I’m secure. I’m good.” And that may all be true: yes, you may be saved, secure in Christ, chosen by God, gifted with eternal salvation—but your heart can still drift, fall asleep, go numb, and fall into sin and spiritual neglect. You can neglect to deepen your relationship with God by spending time with Him. You can abandon your post.

Yes, you can still suffer great loss here on earth. Drift. Spiritual apathy. Neglect. Dozing on the post. These things don’t just affect you; they affect your heart and everyone else in your life. So don’t go that way.


Moving Forward

Where are you at? Are you awake? Do you see what’s happening around you and within yourself?

Read Jesus’ words in Luke chapter 21. Guys, don’t miss this today, because it really matters.