Why Sleep Ye

Luke 22:45-46

And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Two groups of people are represented in these verses. Both sets of people were facing sorrow. However, while one group was sleeping, the other was praying. The disciples were sleeping because of sorrow, but Jesus was praying in the time of sorrow. The difference between the two is that the disciples fled when Jesus was taken, but Jesus made it through His time of sorrow and fulfilled the Father’s will at the same time.

Sorrow is tiring and will wear you out. Sorrow comes in many forms. It comes in the form of troubles and heartaches that you face. It comes in the form of despair when there seems to be no hope for your situation to change. It comes in the form of misfortune when something you were striving for has a great setback. Whatever form your sorrow comes in, it can easily wear you down to the point that you want to quit.

Sleeping because of sorrow never helps you to handle your sorrow in a right manner. When we look at sleeping because of sorrow, sleeping displays itself in many forms in our lives. Let me point out some ways people display sleeping for sorrow.

Some display sleeping for sorrow by running from their problems. Avoidance never makes sorrow go away, but prayer certainly gives you the grace to bear the sorrow. You can run from sorrows and think it will help, but you will always find that avoiding the sorrow is always unsuccessful because it is still there when you get to where you run.

Some display sleeping for sorrow by turning to vice or indulgence. Some try to handle sorrows with alcohol and drugs, only to find that sorrow becomes greater when you turn to these vices. Some indulge themselves in spending money or overeating in an attempt to comfort themselves, only to find their indulgence makes life’s problems worse.

Some display sleeping for sorrow through anger and being short with others. Anger has never resolved one issue in life. Anger only makes sorrows greater because you are destroying relationships by attacking those you love through anger.

Some display sleeping for sorrow by literally hiding. I have come across people who sit in a dark home and never leave because of sorrow. The only problem with hibernating alone is that great depression sets in, and suicidal alternatives are considered.

My friend, Jesus had the best way of facing sorrow, and that is by going to the Father in prayer. You face sorrows head-on through prayer. Prayer is always the only solution to facing heavy sorrow because we unload our cares and sorrows onto God through prayer.

Moreover, Jesus faced sorrow by doing the Father’s will for His life. Instead of stopping when sorrow comes, make it your habit to keep serving God despite your sorrows. You will find the load of sorrow is lifted when you give your sorrow to God in prayer, and you keep moving forward by faith in serving God. If you follow Jesus’ example, you will be able to face sorrow successfully and turn it into joy.