The Great Commission – ARE YOU HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON?

It was a beautiful Thursday morning. I was enjoying my sleep in La-La land when I heard the beeping sound…. Beep Beep, Beep Beep! It sounded so far away at first, gradually becoming louder and louder, until I could no longer ignore it anymore. Without opening my eyes, I felt around for its source. It was my phone. I had set the alarm for 6:30am so I could have ample time to prepare for work. Normally I would grumble a little but get up. This morning was different, all I wanted was to sleep. So, I hit snooze and went back to la-la land.
Just as I was settling in to continue my dreams, I heard that sound again… This time it was louder and more insistent, and very irritating. In annoyance, I hit the ‘dismiss’ button this time and went back to sleep. At 7:30am, I woke up and knew I was going to be late to work, just because I ignored my alarm.
Rushing to work that morning, it occurred to me that many times, I have applied the same approach to my spiritual alarm as well. Do you know we have a spiritual alarm as believers? You know the still small voice that warns you of impeding danger to your spiritual health or nudges that awake you from your spiritual slumber. That’s the Holy Spirit.

How many times have we hit the snooze button or outrightly dismissed the Holy Spirit? I know I have and each time, it had cost me dearly. It is impossible to live a victorious Christian life without allowing the Holy Spirit free reign in our lives (Eph 5:17). Jesus was quite clear in John 14 and 16 when he spoke about the Holy Spirit. He described the Holy Spirit as our Advocate, Friend and Spirit of Truth.

In John 14:25-27 (MSG), Jesus said:

“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left – feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.”

The Holy Spirit’s main tasks include revealing secrets to us (1 Cor 2:10); and being our constant reminder of Jesus’ words and God’s promises to us. He is our Spiritual Alarm Clock warning us of impending danger and alerting us to be battle-ready. He is an Exposer – he exposes the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness and judgement. He helps us understand all truth and he is our Guide into all truth.

How can we identify our spiritual alarm clock when it goes off?

First, learn to shut out the noise. Bishop T.D. Jakes in his sermon titled, The Holy Spirit- Your CIA Agent, stated that our lives are a reflection of who we listen to. You are the sum total of the voices you listen to. That is why it is important to learn to shut out the noise so you can hear the Spirit speak to you.

Second, spend time listening to the Holy Spirit. The more you spend time with the Holy Spirit, the easier it is to know His voice when He speaks. One of the greatest barriers to listening to the Holy Spirit is busyness. This also goes back to the first point on shutting out the noise.

Third, work your muscles out. Every believer has access to the same resources. Tap into the Word, meditate on it, spend time with the Holy Spirit and you will find it easier to identify the Holy Spirit’s voice when He warns you.

Finally, be quick to obey. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). Unlike the phone alarm, the Holy Spirit has emotions and can get hurt when you keep hitting snooze or dismissing His warnings. Be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Heed His voice when he warns and save yourself from the heartaches and dramas that flow from disobeying his warnings.

Writer – Tomilola Adebiyi