I confess that when I first started hearing people use the word “woke” in ways that were unfamiliar to me, I was confused. I would hear people say things like, “I think you should be more woke,” or “I’m working on being more woke.” I thought I knew the meaning of the word, but it was obvious that people were using it in a different way.
Realizing that words can have more than one meaning I went to my trusty dictionary—Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language—that was purchased when I was in high school. Sure enough, the definition was as I thought it would be: “alternate past tense of wake.” Then I wondered if this 66 year-old dictionary is out of date, so I grabbed my Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition that was published in 1993. However, it agreed with the older one. Having no more dictionaries in my house, I went to the Internet and found several definitions such as “Spiritual and intellectual enlightenment, like waking up from a deep sleep and seeing things clearly for the first time” [urbandictionary.com].
On the surface, that sounds like a good thing and is even in harmony with scriptural admonitions in Paul’s letters: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11); also “Awake to righteousness and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of God…” (1 Cor. 15:34). However, like many other good objectives, the need to “wake up” has been co-opted and perverted by advocates of certain social, moral, and religious changes from biblical standards.
It has always been a goal of Satan to convince people to abandon and reject God’s call to righteousness. He has been consistent in his attempts to convince mankind to do away with any adherence to righteous living, and the “woke” approach is just one of his latest ploys. Unfortunately, it seems to be working for him with a great percentage of the world and even with some professing Christians.
Satan is patient, and the gradual erosion of morality has been evident. The so-called sexual revolution in the 1960’s and women’s liberation movement that began about the same time had success in making divorce, fornication, and adultery common and acceptable. These have paved the way for the more recent endorsement and promotion of homosexuality and other perversions. And don’t think for a moment that Satan will be satisfied before and until the world accepts consensual pedophilia as “normal” for those so inclined.
The fear of not being viewed as “woke” has caused many advertisers of products and producers of entertainment to actually promote sexual perversion. Even so-called “conservative” media has bowed to woke pressure by featuring guests and network contributors that openly admit to being homosexual or transgender. The more sexual perversions are portrayed or treated as being “normal,” the more likely society will endorse those practices as personal choices and will accuse anyone who believes them to be sinful as being a bigot. As the Lord’s people, we must be prepared to be maligned and ridiculed due to our stand for truth and righteousness that has been revealed in the Word of God—our ultimate standard.
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