Sleeping Beauty?

Sleep sure shows us that we live in what the Bible calls a “fallen state.” It totally strips a man of his control, and of his dignity. Whether he’s a king or a pauper, sleep casts him into a deep sea of unpredictability. Inside, his mind drifts like a ship without a rudder or anchor, from pleasure to terror in an instant. Outside, sleep opens his mouth, and from that undignified chasm he sends out noises reminiscent of a disgusting pig with his face in filthy fodder. Time magazine asks “Is [sleep] to refresh the body? Not really. Researchers have yet to find any vital biological function that sleep restores . . . Is it to refresh the mind? That's closer to the mark. The brain benefits from a good night's sleep. But there is no agreement among sleep researchers about what form that benefit takes.” Then again, God may have just given it to give us as something to do until the sun comes up. Whatever the case, the Bible tells us that we shouldn’t love sleep. We should get what we need and then use our waking hours to do the will of Him who woke us from our deathly stupor, and gave us glorious light: “Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light’ (Ephesians 5:14).