Living in an Attitude of Watchfulness

Although I needed to turn right up ahead, I was intentionally traveling in the left lane. The lanes in my city are narrow, so the cars parked along the street make me nervous. I usually wait until I near the intersection before switching to the lane next to the scary cars.

I don’t trust my side and rearview mirrors. I use them, but I always turn around to see if there is something that might have sneaked into my blind spot. Only when I’ve been watching my mirrors steadily for a period of time and I’m absolutely sure nothing is approaching will I switch without turning to look.

On this day, I was fairly sure. As I was about to tug the steering wheel right, though, a looming presence in my peripheral vision jerked my head around. An enormous SUV was right beside me! Where did that come from?

A collision was avoided, no thanks to any diligence on my part. It shook me up a little and nudged me back into my usual lane (pun intended) of always turning my head to look before I change lanes.

It isn’t just physical dangers that can sneak up on us. Spiritual dangers can take us unawares, too, if we aren’t on the lookout.

The Greek word grégoreó is translated in the Bible as watch, be alert, or be on your guard. It means actively keeping a careful watch, staying awake, being cautious. The dangers are so numerous that we can’t let our guard down for a moment.

We are told of many things to watch for. Peter wrote to the Jewish Christians to “be self-controlled and alert” because their “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is always sneaking around looking for ways to not only hurt Christians, but to destroy them.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth to “be on your guard” (1 Corinthians 16:13) lest they fall into sin (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). He may have been referring to such things as pride, disorder, or erroneous theology. He specifically names divisions in his letter to the Christians in Rome: “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17).

Jesus cautioned his followers about many specific dangers:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Rather than speaking God’s message, they prophesied what people wanted to hear. They minimized Jesus and glorified themselves.

“Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces” (Mark 12:38). Jesus knew they were not leading people to follow God; they just wanted to make a good impression on other people.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Jesus wanted his followers to understand that material things will not satisfy us and that fulfillment comes only through our relationship with God.

“Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8). We are to discern false messiahs from the one true Messiah.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to Peter, James, and John, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). He was speaking specifically about being tempted to forsake Christ (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

These are some of the dangers we are to look out for, but how do we “watch”?

While playing as a child, I thought it would be fun to run up and over a pile of loose boards. And it was…until I was frightened by a hissing sound somewhere beneath my feet. No one had told me that snakes hide in places like that. Now that I know, you won’t find me within ten feet of a wood pile. We must be aware of the dangers that exist.

Paul addressed the church about discipline and forgiveness “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Clearly, Paul had previously alerted believers to the way our enemy works so they would be aware of spiritual dangers they would encounter.

We become aware through God’s Word. God would not place us in this spiritually dangerous land without making clear to us the pitfalls. Studying the Scriptures will alert us to perils and help us to discern truth so we don’t fall into a trap. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Knowing of false teachers, the Bereans tested even Paul’s teachings against God’s Word. Being in the Word regularly keeps us watchful.

Watching is often paired with praying: “Watch and pray…” (Mark 14:38); “Be always on the watch, and pray…” (Luke 21:36); “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2); “be alert and always keep on praying…” (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer keeps us in close communion with God. We will be more spiritually focused in life and, therefore, more sensitive to God speaking to us through the Holy Spirit. He wants to guide us away from danger.

Watching and praying have a positive aspect as well. When I need to switch lanes, although I look for cars so I won’t crash, I am also searching for an opening to move into. Similarly, the Holy Spirit can show us opportunities to fulfill God’s purpose. But, again, we need to be looking for them.

Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). The disciples didn’t see the people who were right in front of them ready to hear about God; Jesus had to tell them to look. Open doors to serve God may be all around us, but we won’t recognize them if we are always focused on our personal concerns.

The apostle Paul was a man of prayer. He exhorted the believers in Thessalonica to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Throughout his epistles, he wrote that he, himself, did not cease to pray. No doubt, his habit of praying kept him alert and watchful for both dangers and opportunities.

As an example, during Paul’s second missionary journey, he and his companions were “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia” (Acts 16:6). They also were not permitted to go to Bithynia. We don’t know if they were actually being kept from danger or if God just had other plans for them. Either situation, though, is good cause to desire redirection. We also aren’t told how the Spirit stopped them, but we know Paul then had a vision of a man from Macedonia begging him to come and help the people there. Paul concluded it was the leading of the Holy Spirit, so they seized on the opportunity (Acts 16:6-10).

Just as Paul was watchful, we can be, too. It begins with awareness of the dangers we will encounter in life. Reading and studying God’s Word will alert us to them. Staying in close communion with God through prayer will develop our sensitivity to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. By living in prayerful watchfulness, we can avoid collisions with spiritual dangers and, also, recognize the openings for service God puts in our path.

Scripture quotations are from NIV.

Greek definitions are from Bible Hub. See Resources.

Feature photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash