Recently I became acquainted with Sleep Apnea because a member of my family was diagnosed with it. Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a reduction or cessation (pause of breathing, airflow) during sleep. Some of the side effects of sleep apnea are:
- Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes
- Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure
- Make irregular heartbeats more likely
- Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents
These related effects are indicated with a general feeling of being tired and listless.
It got me thinking: How many Christian’s have some form of apnea. Apnea means “without breath.” Is that even possible? Sometimes it looks like it may be the case.
If we simply substituted “spirit” for “breath,” we could think of Christians without the Spirit. That sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But what if, Christians are not totally without breath, which is what most cases of apnea are. It’s called obstructive sleep apnea. The passage for air is simply obstructed and air cannot get in. What if Christians suffer apnea and like their counterpart in the physical world don’t know they have it because it only occurs when they are sleeping. It usually takes someone else, perhaps a family member, to spot the symptoms and try to get the person some help.
After diagnosis, help usually comes by the help of a C-PAP machine. The person with apnea has to wear a mask and the machine forces air through the nose/mouth to keep the air passage unobstructed.
What would be the equivalent of a C-PAP machine for a Christian who has become listless and lifeless because of interrupted intakes of the Spirit? What are your thoughts?
