Three words - Asleep In Jesus! How comforting is that thought?
Capture these thoughts real quickly!
Stephen utters a prayer and then, "he fell asleep." - Acts 7:60
Jesus speaking to the disciples says, "our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep." - John 11:11
Paul writing to the church in Corinth, "behold, I am telling you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed" - 1 Corinthians 15:51
In each one of these references, we fall asleep just for a little bit and then we are awakened to an eternal resurrection. Completely restored. Completely at rest. Completely made new. Isn't that a refreshing thought?
What I want to continue to strive for, long before my death and resurrection to my eternal home, is learning to fall asleep in Jesus today. I love that scene in Mark 4, while a storm is happening and all the disciples on the boat were freaking out, where was Jesus? Let's take a look:
"and yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion." - Mark 4:38
He was sound asleep. Like, He was out of it. It was nature rocking and keeping Jesus asleep.
Do you remember those days when you were in a dilemma and you needed mom, but she was taking a nap and you were like, "I don't want to wake her up, but I don't know what to do...uggh!" Yeah, I don't think the disciples were thinking that.
And it said, the disciples woke Him up. But! What would it have been like if they thought to themselves, "if He isn't worried about this storm, then why should I? Heck, maybe I should snuggle up and fall asleep myself!" Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of peace in life? I think we can. It's a matter of learning to spend more time with Him and less time on the "storms" and the "waves." I mean, they are all around us non-stop. But they don't have to control us.
I genuinely take lots of naps. I am notorious for taking 15-20 minute naps. I survive off of naps. What's amazing, is how refresh I feel even from those short naps. I can go on...for a bit.
There is coming a day when we will truly fall asleep in Jesus and it will be great, right and peaceful. In the meantime, let's find ways today, to fall asleep in Jesus...so that we can continue to go on...being useful for His Kingdom. Then, one day, after we have been asleep in Jesus, we will hear the words, "well done good and faithful servant...enter into the rest that I have prepared for you!" Wow. Until then...let's go
