Keeping watch.

Sleeping is a great past time. There is nothing like sleeping the hours of night away and waking in the morning refreshed and ready for the day. While sleeping, our minds are free to relax and renew. Slumber sets our bodies strait again.

Soldiers on a battle field or behind enemy lines need to sleep too. The problem is that when they sleep they are in more danger. This is why there is always a watch or guard setup to warn of incoming dangers. Without a watch, enemies of the soldiers can enter the camp and wreck havoc on them. The armies of the world always have a watch for warning and protection.

We are taught a similar type of "watch" in the scriptures. In Mark 14:38 Jesus teaches us to "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation". Much like soldiers, we need to watch so we don't fall into spiritual dangers. These dangers can come in any forms such as temptations, addictions, thought and actions. If we fail to keep watch something harmful to our spiritual growth may creep in and make it harder to progress and grow.

Unlike the soldiers, we are responsible for our own watches. We cant rely on others to do it for us. This makes it that much harder and important to fortify ourselves spiritually. We have to remain watchful at all times and in all places so we don't fall. Being watchful allows us prevent bad influences from coming into our lives.

In vs. 37 of Mark 14, Jesus came to find his disciples asleep, He woke them and asked "couldest not thou watch one hour?"  Keeping watch is hard, it can be boring, trying, or just down right uncomfortable. It is easy to let our guard down and fall asleep. It takes work and effort to maintain a watch. The rewards however are worth it.

How do we watch for the temptations of the world? What can we do to guard ourselves? Jesus told us, He said "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation". Prayer is how we protect from the temptations all around us. We need to pray and ask for help and guidance. This combined with watchfulness will keep us safe.

Here is a question I find myself asking. "Do I sleep when I should be watching?"