"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night." [1 Th 5:5-8]
As employees we are to act in a way that glorifies God; we are to do all that we do for Christ. Paul speaks to this effect, writing,
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to The Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of The Lord, whether he be bond or free.” [Eph 6:5-8]
As employees, servants as it were, we are to be obedient, and not just when the person God has put over us is watching but at all times: for whether we realize it or not, we serve The Lord Jesus Christ. And so, in all things, especially in work, let us recognize this, and let us rejoice, for even though a supervisor may go ignorant of our good, yet Jesus never does. For we are told, “whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of The Lord, whether he be bond or free.” Therefore, “whatsoever ye do, do it as from the soul, as to The Lord, and not unto men.” [Col 3:23]
Let us briefly take an allegory from work. Seeing that we are Christians, hoping and seeking to glorify God in all things, (for we are told, “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” [1 Cor 10:31]), we should hardly put our heads down to sleep while employed. The man who sleeps on the job shows that he has no fear of his employer. He cares not for any consequence; for at any moment his master may find him asleep, and what then? My brethren, if we can see the foolishness or fearfulness of sleeping at work, for we are receiving wages thereof, should we not much more see the foolishness of sleeping spiritually, we being the servants of Christ?
For remember again the verse written above,
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.” [1 Th 5:5-8]
Let us not sleep! For we await our coming master, The Lord Jesus, who shall “reward every man according to his works;” [Mt 16:27] and who tells us,
“And, behold, I come in quickness; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” [Rev 22:12]
Is there any Christian man who does not fear God? Who sleeps upon his spiritual bed as it were, slumbering away as a fool and a sluggard? Let him awake! “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” [Eph 5:14] Sleepiness will cause the Christian to fall, and to be quite ashamed. For if you would be ashamed of a man to catch you sleeping on the job, what of Christ, The King! Take heed to the admonition in Proverbs, “love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” [Prov 20:13] And again,
“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” [Prov 6:9-11]
Let us not sleep; as God says to those wicked men in the prophets, “woe to them that are at ease in Zion[!]” [Amo 6:1] Nay, but let us arise and be about our Master’s work. Let us act worthily of Christ, as children of the day. Let us cast off the works of darkness, and produce righteousness with our bodies. Let us speak the truth and live for Christ. Let us no longer slumber and grow sleepy with sin, deceitful doctrine, laziness, lukewarmness, or any such like thing. Let us awake and put on the armor of God and fight!