Diligence at the Door

“Turn the light on! Turn the light on!” My husband had just come from the porch and crawled into bed.

“All right. I’ll turn it on! What’s the problem?” I switched on the light.

“That! Where did that come from? It was crawling on me!” He pointed at a black lightning bug escaping from his shoulder onto the bedcovers. As he caught it in his hand and left the room to dispose of it I called after him.

“You must have brought it in with you from the porch. That’s what happened. It came in attached to you.”

That happens all the time at our house. In the summer, it’s ticks and mosquitoes. In the fall, it’s burrs or dry, crackling leaves our cat loves to toss into the air and across the wood floor. In the winter, snow and ice come in on our clothes leaving little wet puddles on carpets and chairs. And, my favorite, in spring time, is the mud.

We travel into the world to live our lives but stuff attaches itself to us and we carry it home – usually without even noticing.

We do that with spiritual things, too.

As we interact with the everyday world, we pick up attitudes, beliefs, habits, even behaviors that enter our homes like Greek soldiers in the Trojan horse of our inner being. If we don’t check ourselves at the door, these foreign ideas, notions and actions can affect others or create messes for them to deal with at the very least.

Do you suppose that’s why God commanded the nation of Israel to post His Word on the doorframes of their homes in Deuteronomy 6:4-8?

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Remember God’s word – remember you are His as you leave your home and as you return. Consider his word as you sit in your home, travel to wherever you are going, lie down to rest and rise up again.

We can be unbelievably consistent, bordering on obsessive about checking foreign substances at the doors of our homes, can’t we? “Check for ticks! Wipe your feet! Take off your boots! Enter through the mudroom.”

We’re also impressively consistent about preparing to leave our homes. “Put on sunscreen. Wear a hat. Take your umbrella. Button your coat!”

But when it comes to checking our attitudes, shaking off grudges, leaving bitterness on the mat, removing our anger, dropping ungodly ideas, identifying false beliefs or refusing entry to hostile spirits, we grow lax.

God issued a warning to Eve’s son, Cain in Genesis 4:6-7 “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

This week-end, as we watch neighborhood children dress up as ghouls and goblins and knock on doors, perhaps we can let it remind us that there are many things in the spiritual realm seeking entrance to our lives. Evil that crouches at our doors and waits for an opportunity to attach itself to us and take up residence. Invading with the intent of causing damage, spreading disease or, at the very least, wasting our time.

Be diligent at the door.

Spend time in God’s word and prayer every day. Pay attention to what has affected you as you moved about the world and make it all pass through the security gate of the Holy Spirit.

Be diligent at the door.

And if something should invade, do what my husband did. Turn the light on the situation and dispose of it quickly.

Be diligent at the door.