Have you had the pleasure of living through a hurricane? Doing preparatory work to board up the house, bring in supplies and hunker down, waiting for the hurricane to pass? Boarding up the house ensures that the weak entry points do not cause structural failure, breach the house and cause flooding when flying objects are launched against the house. There are many good reasons to board the house during hurricane.
What does this have to do with Jesus you ask? Well, the backstory first. I typically stay away from social media. I personally think that social media is the devil’s playground. Bad suggestive stuff is reported as information. Half-truths, forum for people to be unauthentic about their lives. The list goes on. Most importantly, I have seen gullible individuals, not filter the information that is being fed to them.
The keyword is fed. As humans, we need fed the right kind of information. The Bible is the best kind of food that promotes clean living. But we have other sources as well. If we are not careful with what we are consuming, we may end up contaminating our thoughts, emotions and eventually spiritual life.
Now, that I laid out how I feel about social media, news and sources of current events, this will make more sense. I have been plugged in to these sources for the past few days to stay aware of the situation in the Middle East and impact to our great nation. While I tried to go to bed after my fair share of doom scrolling. It hit me. I was worried. Worried about gas prices, our troops in harm’s way. Innocent people that may be caught in line of fire. Threats issues to our great nation. Our President and his cabinet’s welfare, I even started panicking about our Vice President’s unborn child!!! There was no stopping me. In retrospect, the correct thing to do would have been to pray. But that would make for another long story. So let me cut to the chase.
We live in a world that though created by our good Lord, has allowed evil to reign. As Christians, we have to constantly board our hearts and minds. Even if we are not the perpetrators of evil, we are strongly susceptible to it and hence the need to protect ourselves from the attacks that will create strong holds. Strong holds, that will lead to negative thinking, worry – which is a sin. And most importantly chaos that will slowly take us away from the safety of our good Lord.
If you have to spend time in the devil’s playground, like I had to do the past few days, take thoughts captive and bring them to Jesus.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
-2 Corinthians 3-6
Let’s hunker down in the safe arms of our Lord and Savior. If you have to venture into the world of evil, let’s put on the armor of God and call out to Him when we feel the light inside is not glowing bright.
Dear Jesus,
Please give me the good sense to call on You whenever I am in trouble. Please give all my brothers and sisters the assurance that You are always by their side, guiding, shielding, fighting and protecting Your sheep. I pray in Your precious name, Jesus. Amen.