Recently my sister went to visit our folks. She had had a busy week and had planned to have a restful and quiet time at home. Before settling down, she realized that there were a few items she needed to buy and set out to the shopping Center which is quite some distance from our home. Unknown to her after locking the main door, she forgot to check on the back kitchen door before leaving. Dad was in the garden so she had no reason to double check on anything anyway. She was gone for an hour. When she got back and to her surprise on stepping into the compound, there was Vick peeping at her …but from inside the house!
Vick is our family dog, she is big and with a furry long coat and a personality larger than herself. My sister shouted at her in disbelief as usually, Vick stays in her dog house during the day. What was she doing inside the house?
To her dismay when she got into the house after fighting Vick who was wrestling her down out of happiness , Vick had messed up the whole house! Being a tall big dog, she had reached out to the half tray of uncooked eggs on the kitchen counter and had eaten 8 of them together with the shells. Being a mixed breed of a Golden Retriever and a German shepherd, it’s in her nature to pick things, hide them for her to retrieve them later. Vick had taken avocados from the pantry to hide them in different places in the house- one was found in the bathroom and others elsewhere. My sister had to later warn mum to look out for avocados in their closet as Vick’s muddy footsteps were in almost every room. The kitchen bin was upside down and mum’s cat,Zookerbag had fled for his dear life to the neighbor’s.
Vick caused so much havoc. My sister was in disbelief. She literally had been having a party while my sister was gone. Instead of the rest and quietness that my sister so desired, she had to clean up after Vick who literally stole from her,her intended peaceful quiet afternoon. The funny part was Vick thought it was all a game when she was being kicked out.
What doors have you left open unknowingly and have a mess made by what you let in? Or which ones do you need to shut?
Our mind is a gate. What we then allow ourselves to meditate on can also be likened to us opening doors. What we feed our minds with, what we watch or listen to influences our lives. Slowly we can find ourselves being influenced by certain patterns.If these are not based on the truth of the word of God they will lead us into unfamiliar paths and away from God, making a mess in our lives.
These might be views on life. It could be watching patterns people adopt to get ahead in life(business, career), views on marriage, handling money, patterns of beauty or remaining youthful looking. Unknowingly,we might also find ourselves being influenced by experiences of those around us and how their lives have played out. Just because people in our spaces have had certain experiences doesn’t mean that becomes the norm for us to accept. Not to sound vague but I think getting into a marriage with an exit door at the back of one’s mind has been normalized.Whatsoever happened to “for better for worse for richer for poorer?”Yet,i bet we all possibly know of someone who has left,just because they could.
Yes,there are circumstances by law that would be okay to leave .Perhaps cruelty but just because ” one has fallen out of love? or is bored?”No please.Check what God says about a matter and trust God as a father to have the best for you.Your path need not be someone else’s.
In Romans 12 :2 we are admonished not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
That means every so often pressing on a reset button to see God’s view on life .Not the world view. Like getting into a detox program. Helps do a cleaning of sorts of our system and gets rid of the mess of what we took in unknowingly. See,God by His Spirit will often nudge our conscience whenever we are conforming or are inclined to conform.It’s upon us not to numb that part of us that is sensitive and receptive enough to such nudging.
What of good things online,be it sermons,books,talks? So much is available and only a click away.There are seasons we might desire to feedfrom different restaurants including feeding our inner man.Members of the body of Christ are gifted differently and geographically spread.So glean from sermons from various preachers and teachers as He leads you to .Remember though to also take time to study the word of God for yourself. That will help you test what you hear. The enemy easily turns falsehoods to be truths.Therefore,unless you know the truth you will not be able to identify and discard the falsehoods.Satan is the father of all lies thus unless you have seen,smelt even touched the original designer label of anything you can’t tell the fake.
The Berean church in the book of Acts 17:11 were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.Our modern Bereans maybe you and i talking about what we heard as we drive home from church.Or That one flipping or swiping their notes for what they wrote and in alone times,leaving zero chance of being deceived or following false doctrines.
Certain value systems or doctrines might not be anchored on the word of God. Thus regardless of who speaks it, if it’s false it still doesn’t change the word of God. If a certain book or preacher doesn’t sit in well with you, that might be just be the Holy Spirit nudging you to check what you have heard against the word of God.
Should you sense you might have unknowingly let in a Vick through the gates of our ears, eyes or mind who then made a mess,clean up.Discard what you now know shouldn’t have been let in in the first place before shutting the door.
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