“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;” Luke 21:34
Jesus warning to all His disciples is to prepare, to be on guard and alert, to live expectantly. But His concern is not for the practical, the material, but for the heart…always the heart…
- Not weighted down with dissipation – keep your heart from wasting itself on things that do not matter. God created a wonderful world and He wants us to enjoy it but when fun becomes our priority we are left empty.
- and drunkenness – avoid over-indulgence in anything and everything that replaces God in our affections. Jesus is referring directly to becoming drunk on alcohol but we can become addicted to anything: shopping, TV, food, etc.
- and the worries of life – when a heart is full of worry it is full of pain, unable to function well. Life has many problems and challenges but God does not want us to worry ; He want us to trust Him in and for everything (Matthew 6:25-34).
I love how Jesus groups these three “problem children” together – dissipation, drunkenness, and worry. All result in wasted time, energy and effort. Like a gerbil in a wheel, spinning at top speed, going nowhere. The only way to keep going is to go faster but it is a waste. The combination of dissipation, drunkenness, and worry are like heavy rocks that we carry with us everywhere. These burdens consume our energy and thoughts and become the focus of our lives. We are so busy carrying the “rocks” we don’t pay attention to anything or anyone else. Our hearts are dragged down, damaged and crushed by the weight…
Jesus’ storm warning causes me to look into my heart. How much time do I waste in a day? Time is NOT a renewable resource! Is my energy focused on indulging myself or does it flow outward to others. How do I “spend” my time and energy? Am I more focused on people or on myself and things? Does what I am doing bring me closer to God of pull me away from Him? Worry, is the worst of the three in some ways. It is so easy to convince ourselves that with all that is going on in the world, we should be worried. There are so many terrible things that can happen, we feel like worry makes sense, right? WRONG! My worry always indicates my lack of trust in God’s plan, purpose and care in my life. Worry is a gigantic weight around my neck that hurts my back, makes my heart work too hard, and paralyzes me, causing me to be useless and ineffective. Worst of all, worry is a sign of unbelief…
Oh Lord, help me keep you first in my heart. There is no substitute for you, anything but you is a shadow. Help me to properly balance work, rest and the enjoyment of the life you have graciously given me. Help me trust you and keep my mind at peace. Keep me light-hearted…