Asleep at the wheel.

An idiomatic statement meaning not alert or attentive. To be asleep at the wheel isn’t a statement of one actually sleeping but rather being in a state of unawares.

This week, as I listened to a podcast, I had a sense that it is possible to devote time and energy to activity — be it ministry or other purposeful endeavors — and be asleep at the wheel. Avoiding the call on my life by keeping busy is as dangerous as sleeping in the hull of a boat. I think of Mary and Martha.

³⁸As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” ⁴¹But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴²There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Perhaps today is the day to take a long look at where you invest time and energy. While you can surely say you aren’t asleep in the hull of the ship, are you asleep at the wheel while you avoid the call of God on your life? Should you take a seat at the feet of Jesus and see what he has to say?