Within a split second, I could have become a statistic when I came close to being run over by a speeding car. Dave and I were biking on a two-lane street, and the only reason I wasn’t turned into road-kill was that the female driver swerved into the far lane.  The only reason she wasn’t killed was that no one was in that lane.

It was my fault.  I pulled out of a side street, and instead of making a sharp right turn to stay on the edge of the road, I pedaled out too far in the direction of the car.  You know, the car with the driver with the right-of-way. The driver who fortunately was not texting or applying lipstick or smacking her kids in the back seat. The driver who was alert and paying attention.  Unlike me.

Dave was supportive.

“What in the world were you thinking?”

“Obviously I wasn’t.”

“Why didn’t you use your brakes?”

“Because I panicked.”

“Obviously.”

Sometimes, being alert is hard.  I’ve left my credit card, my favorite jacket, and even my kids when I failed to take care of what was important. But there is a day coming when staying alert will determine where we spend eternity, which, in my case, could have come from not paying attention while riding my bike.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV) we are warned.  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Noah’s neighbors certainly were not alert when God warned that the flood was coming.  Only eight people believed and were saved. Lot warned his family that the city was about to be destroyed, but they did not listen.  Starting in Genesis, all the way through Revelation, we are bombarded with stories of individuals with their heads in the figurative sand.  Perhaps that description is fitting for us as well.

Hebrews 2:1 does not mince words. “Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Jesus voiced the same priority: “Pay careful attention to how you listen” (Luke 8:18). Careful listening (staying alert) is the first step to faithful living.  It’s the difference between listening to a Bible app while also posting family pics on our Facebook account and giving God undivided attention to what He says.

Matthew 24 reminds us that being alert is critical. He warns his followers to remain steadfast and not be led astray by false teachings or distractions from the world. The command to “be ready” is not merely about anticipating His return but also about living a life that reflects His teachings and values—loving others, seeking justice, and maintaining a personal relationship with God.

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Jesus emphasized that His return—for us—will be sudden and unexpected. This calls for believers to cultivate a lifestyle of preparedness.

You know, exactly what I did not do on that bike ride.