Avoiding Invaders!

In the previous year, I lived in a place where, by night time, the corridor is a domain for rats to roam freely.

They were always close to the door, to the point that I got some work done on the door to prevent the rats from entering through the gaps.

However, a mistake occured one day, when the door was not tightly closed.

At first, a solitary rat entered, then some others (it was as if they were calling themselves), and then they struck; scattering some things and eating my foodstuffs.

I spent a while chasing them all out that night. At long last, they ran out, and I closed the door so tightly – to the extent of using an unused cloth as a ‘shock absorber’ to cover any open holes. Since that day, I actively ensured that no allowances were made for future occurrences like that to reoccur.

Can you believe that after that day, about 4-5 rats would gather at my entrance room door looking for entry?

It seemed like the rats had an agreement to converge at my door on daily basis. Parts of my door were eaten, along with the clothes I fixed there. It was a battle that I fought daily using all necessary means to avoid them – and alas, I prevailed.

These rats put so much effort into entering because their first time of entry was full of enjoyment and they were free to do whatever they wanted.

Just like this scenario, so many times as God’s beloved, we have slackened in our duty post that we allow foreigners – invaders – to enter, giving them free will to do whatever.

Some times, the door to our hearts are not tightly closed, allowing for the infiltration of ungodly things, giving room to negativity, bitterness, hatred and uncertainties that could damage not just our spiritual well-being, but our physical well-being also.

[22] Reject every kind of evil.

[23] May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:22-23 (NIV)

An open door is an opportunity for the devil to cause havoc. At this opening, invaders attack the strongest part of our lives, thereby rendering us weak and ineffective. This could be in the spiritual aspect of our lives, in our careers, academics, etc. You can liken these parts of our lives to tender grapes that can be by even the littlest foxes.

Despite the rats entering, I didn’t allow them stay; I chased them out. So it should be with us as Christians. We must be at alert to first guard against these “little foxes” from entering through our weak points, and in the case where they do, we must speedily chase out those things that could affect us (spiritually and in every other aspect). Don’t allow them to linger.

Whatever it is that these foxes represent for us (be it negative thoughts, anger, bitterness, bad habits and patterns, etc), chase them out!

Constantly stay guarding the door (of your heart) by constantly studying the Word, thinking and confessing positively, speaking the truth at all times, putting integrity at your forefront and surrounding yourself with like-minded people because in doing these, you create a resistance against invaders, keeping the door of your heart tightly closed.