A Battle in Every Home

Last week my wife and I went to see War Room, the latest creation by writers Alex and Stephen Kendrick (Fireproof, Courageous).  Without going into a lot of detail I thought it was well done.  Quite often I find myself somewhat disappointed in what the Christian community produces in terms of full length feature films, but this one was powerful.  

As we were getting ready to leave last Thursday to head to the movie, we noticed a substantial amount of yellow jacket activity outside our boys' bedroom.  Over the course of the week we had been encountering them in the house.  Not a lot - just one or two here and there.  However, a glance out the window on that night revealed they were entering and exiting through the soffit.  I walked outside figuring I would do the manly thing and unload some projectile poison in a can.  I managed to kill a few and significantly irritate some others.  In any case we decided a call to the exterminators the next morning would be a good idea.

Friday came and the kids were all dressed and ready to be taken to their respective institutions of early learning.  I called the exterminator and happily arranged for a mid-afternoon appointment. At that point I decided it would be a good idea to begin tapping on the boys' ceiling to see if I could determine where the activity was.  How or why I found this to be the right thing to do still perplexes me.  Chalk it up to curiosity I guess.  In any case, I began to hit the ceiling with my fist lightly and lo and behold I broke through! Partly, mind you.  But the buzzing became very pronounced.  So much so that I thought I should duct tape the breach as soon as possible.

After returning with a partial roll of the wonder product I decided once again it would be a good idea to see if there were any compromised areas around the hole I had already created.  With my right index finger I began to poke and on the first attempt I succeeded in sticking my finger into the mother ship!  That's right - they began to come pouring out!

Some went right for the window.  Others immediately dropped to the floor.  And others clung to the walls most likely in shock of their newfound surroundings.  People have asked how many many there were, but I did not stick around long enough to count them!  I did that one thing I could think of, I ran!!!  Down the stairs (after closing the door behind me) and into the garage where I kept my supply of chemicals created to inflict yellow jackets and other such pests with an almost instant death!  (Please note that my children were outside waiting for their dad to take them to school.)

I ran back into the house and up the stairs, opened the door and began spraying.  There was white foam flying everywhere: on the curtains, the windows, the walls, the carpet, the toys, the stuffed animals and most importantly on the hole through which the evil beasts were entering! I bought enough time to wipe the area around the hole clean so I could put some duct tape over it which held the attackers at bay.  I again called the "bug man" to update him on the situation and he assured me that someone would be coming later and that the duct tape was a sound solution, albeit temporary.   

He indeed did come mid-afternoon, cut a hole in my ceiling and removed a very large yellow jacket nest, assuring me he got it all.  I started to watch him through a very fine crack in the door until I began to feel ill and decided he didn't need my assistance.  After he was done I met him outside where he was carrying two plastic grocery bags weighted down by a mix of yellow jackets (both dead and alive), drywall, some insulation and mostly nest.

I thanked the man who's name was John and he was on his way.  When I went back upstairs I had a chance to assess the mess.  I knew there would be much work ahead and that the boys' bedroom would be off limits for a few days.  But the immediate danger was gone.

Why did I share all that?  For many reasons.  It brought to mind all kinds of spiritual insights, the most significant to me is the idea of the battles we face in our homes.  

John told me that the nest had been under construction for a while.  It wasn't as if the queen and her companions moved in overnight! The fact is we didn't notice anything until the nest was well established inside the house.  John also informed me that even if he had "dusted" from the outside it would have just driven them into the home where they would have penetrated the ceiling without my help.

It all could have been avoided with some periodic checks.  A simple walk around the house to observe if there was any activity would have alerted me to the presence of the yellow jackets.  But I wasn't paying attention.  And because I wasn't paying attention to my home the enemy was allowed to set up camp and build an army.

I hope it's becoming more clear where I am going with this. Whether the "home" is your dwelling place or your body it is easy for us to get lazy and let the enemy set up camp.  For me, as I began to drink alcohol in larger quantities and earlier in the day,  the enemy was establishing ground.  And all along I thought I had it under control.  That was until I was shaking so badly in my bed on May 2nd of 2014 when I realized I was in trouble.  I ended up in the hospital for 5 days and spent 18 days in a rehab facility after that.  I wasn't keeping an eye on my home.  I got sloppy and careless.  

Just like my poking around the ceiling I was playing with fire.  I will say that I'm so grateful to be on the other side now, recovering well due to my faith in Christ and a ridiculously gracious wife.  But I didn't have to get there in the first place.  Had I trusted someone when I started to slide I could have easily gotten help.  Had I been paying attention I could have, by the power of God's Spirit been turned around.  But I didn't and the result was a big mess that left my wife and kids in turmoil.  

Maybe you think like I did that you aren't hurting anyone by your decisions.  Maybe you can't even see that you are in fact harming yourself.  As I write this I pray that you will realize the one simple bet at the casino can lead to financial ruin.  That drinking left unchecked can end with sickness and death.  That one glance at the pornographic website can lead to relationships and families being destroyed, not to mention the corruption of your own soul.  Those little compromises with integrity can become out of control faster than you realize.  Are you hiding financial dealings or spending from your spouse?  Are you dabbling with drugs and hope your parents don't find out?  Are you having lunch or spending time with someone at work without proper boundaries?  Do you have a problem telling the truth?  

I can attest to the fact that there is destruction as a result of these kinds of behaviors.  I've seen it.  There are things in my life that will never be the same because of my carelessness.  And just because I'm healthy now doesn't mean there isn't still cleanup to be done.  I continue to encounter people I need to make amends with for lies I told or simply because I pretended to be someone I wasn't.  The boys' room required some work after the danger was gone for it was a mess!  

And just because I am restored by the power of Christ doesn't mean I can let my guard down.  In fact I believe the enemy wants my family now more than ever because of our victorious testimony.  But defeat can't happen if I stay close to the One Who ultimately won the battle by dying on the cross for my sins.  That victory only comes with a relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you have been doing battle and your life is a mess, God wants things to be different for you.  He wants to come in and clean out the destruction and replace it with peace.  But He won't barge in. You need to surrender.  Find someone you trust to confess to and allow the Spirit of God to begin to transform your life into one of complete victory!  It begins with confessing to Him that you can't do it alone and that you want Him to be the leader of your life and the forgiver of your sins. If you need help with this step I'd be happy to help!  Once you have made this decision make sure you let someone know - a mature Christian friend or a pastor.

In conclusion; be prepared.  If your home is in good order, continue to do regular maintenance.  Spend quiet time with God.  Read and study the Bible.  Dare to find someone you can confide in.  Someone who is trustworthy who you can share the good, the bad and the ugly with.  If your home isn't in good order, call on the One Who can change things around for you! If you take these steps, the yellow jackets can't move in without your knowledge.  If you do these things, you will see trouble brewing and be able to proactively ward off an attack from the enemy.

And remember what is written in Proverbs 21:31, "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.  

Be blessed and be a blessing today!

Mike