Getting Ready by Staying Awake

Living alert to God’s presence

Scripture Reading: Luke 12:35–48

Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.

Luke 12:35

As we conclude our Advent series Getting Ready, Jesus calls His disciples to a posture of steady alertness. In Luke 12, watchfulness is not a sudden burst of spiritual intensity or anxious prediction about the future. It is a way of living—day by day, moment by moment—attentive to the Master’s presence. As Eugene Peterson reminds us, “Faith is not a sudden leap; it is a steady walk, day after day.” Advent trains us for this kind of faith: a quiet readiness that shapes ordinary life.

Jesus’ picture of staying awake looks very much like faithful attention in unseen hours. A nurse working the night shift serves while most of the world sleeps. There are no crowds, no praise, and little recognition. Yet attentiveness matters deeply—missing a small change in a patient’s condition can be life-altering. Staying awake is not excitement; it is faithfulness. In the same way, Luke 12’s servants remain ready through the long night, entrusted with responsibilities that matter even when no one seems to be watching. Staying awake, Jesus teaches, is less about dramatic moments and more about faithful attention in the ordinary hours.

The great surprise of Jesus’ teaching is not fear, but grace. The Master returns and, astonishingly, serves His servants (Luke 12:37). This is the heart of the gospel: the One we watch for is also the One who gives Himself for us. Staying awake means remaining open to grace—ready to receive Christ again and again. As we wait for Christmas, we keep our lamps burning and our hearts attentive, trusting that the Lord who once came in humility will come again in glory.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Teach us to walk faithfully with You, day after day. Clear our lives of distractions and keep us awake to Your presence. As we wait this Advent, help us to serve with joy and to live ready for Your return.

Amen.