Take Heed
“Take heed to yourselves”— careful attention to what we are allowing ourselves to do; the relationships we are involved with; friends we associate with (tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are!), how much time we are spending that go to waste, how much space we are giving away to give room to worries, fear, and deception, instead of saving that time and space treasure in heaven. We must ask ourselves how much time and space we use to be closer to God. What did we do today that pleases God? How close is our relationship with God? Is it getting closer every day? These are things we must watch and take heed of.
God wants us to build that relationship daily, not if we only have time. We have to make time for Him, and that time is not even our own; it is His time; we are just borrowers. So take heed of our spiritual growth. That is the only way we can guard and protect our eternal life built within us. Once we establish and develop our godly character, we should never let it slide, be watchful, and never give up on anything the world has to offer. By God’s grace and our submission to His wholeness and fullness, we are in a good and stable position as far as the kingdom is concerned.
We have to be aware of this not most of the time, but almost every time. People become deceived or tempted because they are not paying attention to what is happening around them. There are intruders who aim to help you fall backward and never let you get up. You may feel weak because you already gave up even before you used your built-in strength. It is hard to resist because you are not paying attention.
God requires us to be aware and have constant contact with Him. Jesus said in Luke 21:36, “Watch and always pray,” We have to guard ourselves against deception all the time and not from time to time or sometimes. His word has already shown us how to live our life. He has revealed what needed to be revealed to avoid being drawn down to the bottomless pit. He has left nothing hidden that is covered by the gift of salvation. Yet, after all of this awareness and still, we continue to miss the mark; it is our fault because we pull ourselves down knowingly.