Message summary: Today as men and women who strive to live faithfully for God in this present evil age let us avoid the destructive perils of spiritual drowsiness, distractions and drunkenness. Let us heed the clear Scriptural call to be alert and sober!

There are many perils on the road. Driver drowsiness, distractions and drunkenness contribute to most accidents. These same three "d's" are also a peril to our spiritual well-being and we do well to recognize and deal with them.

Paul's call to the Roman believers (and all of us through the Scriptures) is “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber". Slumber is a metaphor that pictures spiritual apathy and lethargy or unresponsiveness to the things of eternal value that please God.

Pastor Bruce Goettsche explains the sense is "We should be living with a new urgency. We must remember that we are terminal. We understand that we could die or Jesus could return at any time. Paul suggests that those who understand this fact will change the way they live."

Likewise 1 Thessalonians 5:6 states, “So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober”. This is such a necessary element in dealing with the present time.

Today we often use the word “sober” in regard to being free from the intoxication of drugs and alcohol and that would certainly be included. We have seen so many, many lives detrimentally impacted, ruined, or terminated by the abuse of drugs and alcohol in our line of ministry. Last week I had an interesting ministry moment with a young man who had been incarcerated due to a DUI. He was working in a company we visited and told me he was excited about the prospect of finally getting his driver's license back. I urged him to refrain from any use of alcohol and drugs and told him the main thing was making a decision to follow Christ. He told me that's what his grandparent's had been telling him as well!

But today we consider “sober” in the broader sense, as that of having a clear mind. So many have their minds clouded by a vast variety of the world’s input such as media and entertainment nonsense. Electronic devices along with their bells and whistles so easily distract and dilute our alertness to other far more important matters. We consider by observation those who are glued to a tiny screen hour after hour playing video games. Even what is called academia can severely cloud the mind with so many of the most foolish notions coming out. Paul urges Timothy to “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20).

The Precept online Bible commentary states concerning this spiritual sobriety,

Bible teacher D. Edmond Hiebert writes that sober

We must be on our guard lest we be seduced into this topsy-turvy, touchy-feely system of beliefs based on popular and politically correct notions of morality, especially to the exclusion of critical or sound judgment. To hold to ancient, proven truths is being viewed more and more as old-fashioned and will likely bar you from the “cool, hip or cutting edge” in-crowd (not that we and probably most of our readers are really striving to get in that setting anyway, though the young people are greatly impacted!) However it is a major impediment for younger folks. Here in America and around the world a battle for the heart, soul and mind rages.

I believe among the greatest challenges for believers in any age is being sober-minded. It is certainly true today. We live in a time of moral confusion and even anarchy and I believe Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh got it right when they wrote, “We are called to take His light to a world where wrong seems right....” in the inspiring song with a a timeless message, “People Need the Lord”.

In the final verse of our daily Scripture selections, “self-controlled and sober-minded” (ESV) comes from Paul’s final letter to Timothy. Other versions translate the phrase “be of sound judgment and sober spirit” (NASV), “control yourself at all times” (NCV), “keep a clear mind” (NLT). The NIV states, “Keep your head in all situations.” Greek scholar Fritz Rienecker points out that in this passage Timothy is called “to be in a vigilant, wakeful, considerate frame of mind, taking heed of what is happening and pursuing a course with calm and steady aim.”

Today as men and women who strive to live faithfully for God in this present evil age let us avoid the destructive perils of spiritual drowsiness, distractions and drunkenness. Let us heed the clear Scriptural call to be alert and sober!

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)