WOKE

There is an old song that we used to sing in church service, fairly often, years ago. I found myself singing them the other day and realized that while we were saying the words, and singing even with sincerity and as a undeniable pledge, we did not realize how the words were to have meaning once we left the sanctuary. The lyrics got lost in the cognitive, conscious realms of our minds. Let’s consider this further.

Here are the first two verses of that song, perhaps you will recognize them and maybe you will even raise you voice and sing along aloud as you read them.

Woke up this mornin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Woke up this mornin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Woke up this mornin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.

Walkin’ and talkin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Walkin’ and talkin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Walkin’ and talkin’ with my mind, stayed on Jesus.
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.

Let’s be analytical about the song. It appears that the first verse reflected how we felt in the special presence of the Lord in the sanctuary. Our hearts were overflowing with gratefulness of seeing another Sunday morning, and that feeling was accompanied by our un-forgetfulness of all Jesus had done for us, in years long ago, and in the week that just passed, or as recently as the night that had just passed.

Continue being analytical for a moment. The second verse contains words that I believe many in attendance at the church service failed to see them as an expression of consecration and commitment to walk and talk with our mind stayed on Jesus once we left the church edifice and entered a new week. As you know, I call it staying Christ-centered. As a matter of fact, I think another verse supports staying Christ-centered. It says, “Ain’t no harm to keep your mind, stayed on Jesus.”

Now, let us move from the analytical to the practical. After the service today, my challenge to you is to stay woke, meaning that every morning of the week ahead, you will keep your mind stayed on Jesus. Furthermore, don’t forget the commitment you made to be one of Christ’s disciples, to walk in the newness of life, to be His witness, and to lift up Jesus so that others may be drawn to Him.

Stay woke! Stay committed to walking and talking with your mind stayed on Jesus. I hope you are already at the church house, sitting in a pew, arrived early and now you are waiting for the call to worship. If not, you need to get going. Have a great service! Be blessed!

^“Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them. It would be shameful even to mention here those pleasures of darkness that the ungodly do. But when you expose them, the light shines in upon their sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them may even become children of light! That is why God says in the Scriptures, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise up from the dead; and Christ shall give you light.” So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.” (Ephesians 5: 10-17 The Living Bible)

Committed to the climb,

Mark L. King