Do You Have a Door Open?

Last night I sat down at the computer in our office with the lights off and was immediately attacked by a big, ugly moth.  Moths will often keep to themselves, but not this one, he wanted to get close and personal.  He was in my hair, on my neck, and on my hands and face.  Aaagh!!  I did the “there’s a bug on me” crazy dance and finally swatted him down.  Two thoughts crossed my mind after this.  One, I need to get outside in the sun more if I am the brightest thing in a dark room. 

Two, how did this big moth get in our house?  That was an easy one, I knew the answer.  You see, I have two young boys who enjoy running between the indoors and the outdoors and don’t pay the electrical bill.  They seem to have something against shutting the front door of our house. 

Actually come to think of it, we’ve had a few other occurrences too.  We’ve had birds fly in on two different occasions … then there was the cat a few years ago… and the neighbor kid, Al (that’s a frequent one)…and one little girl who just appeared in my kitchen one day.  Yes, definitely an ongoing problem of not getting our door shut.  You never know what (or who) will pop in.

As mothers, we desire our homes to be places of safety and comfort.  We want to ensure our kids are protected and that we monitor what they have access to, and who has access to them.  If our homes are not safe, we are failing at parenting well and we are endangering our children. 

Many parents will tell you they are vigilant about protecting their children, yet many homes still have huge spiritual safety hazards in them.  Many dangers we welcome inside ourselves or even pay large sums of money to have them in our homes.  These could be televisions, radios, computers, video games, magazines, books, DVDs, CDs, photographs, the list goes on. 

None of these are bad in and of themselves, but each has the strong potential to be.  A radio is not evil, but if is playing songs with vulgar lyrics it is a pathway for evil to enter into your home and into the hearts of your children.  Video games are not evil, some are even educational, but if they promote violent acts and encourage anger they are affecting your child’s character in a sinful direction.  Many of these items also have the potential to consume your child’s time and attention away from the priorities we are trying to instill in them of serving God and studying his Word. 

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:17 “give no opportunity to the devil.”  Notice the small but important word “no” there.  It doesn’t say that a few R-rated movies now and then won’t hurt them, 60 minutes a day playing that war game on Xbox won’t affect them, or country music isn’t as bad as pop or rap, so go ahead.  It says give NO opportunity to the devil! 

If there are leaks in your home that allow the devil access, deal with them!  Don’t shrug your shoulders and hope for the best.  Truly love your children by keeping the Enemy who hates them away.  He wants nothing more than to lead your child gently by the hand (or eyes, or ears) away from the truth you are teaching from the Bible. 

James 4:7 says “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  It doesn’t say keep the devil on a manageable leash or just let him take a peek inside your home once in a while for fun and because the neighbors allow it; it says “resist” him!  Fight him off and make him run from your home with his tail between his legs.  Be a vigilant protector of your children’s hearts by submitting to God.

I fully recognize that we need to train our children to live in this dark world and that they will be exposed to these dangers and more in their lives.  However, I will not be the one that serves them this evil and acts as if is acceptable when it is not.  We don’t train our children to fight evil by exposing them to evil.  We fight evil with the truth which is the word of God.  That is what they need more exposure to in order to be strong warriors on their own. 

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” – Words of Jesus from John 17:14-17

Are there dangers in your home?  Are you leaving a door wide open for the Enemy to walk right inside?  I enCOURAGE you to take a hard look around your home today and take a serious look at where the weak spots are.  Make your home a place of refuge where God is honored above all else.