Bugs and Ministry
Shortly after Nicky and I bought our house, Dad and I installed a whole house fan to pull in fresh air through open doors and windows. I love open doors during the summer months. The sweet summer breeze makes my house smell nostalgic, and floods me with a wave of memories from childhood.
But I have to be careful when I have wide open doors with the fan running. If I’m not paying attention, I’ll end up with hundreds of these little black bugs. Somehow these little buggers get through the mesh of my screens. And once they are in the house, they are terribly difficult to get rid of!
I’m pretty sure they are sent from of hell itself.
I’ll spend hours trying to get them to all gather around one light in the house and with one big smack, smash them against the wall. Now you’d think that bugs small enough to fit through screen doors wouldn’t leave much bug guts. If that’s what you’d think, you’d be thinking wrong.
These guys smear all over my walls like sticky toddler fingers after eating grape jelly. (Yes, I have experience with that as well). The only difference is that at least the grape jelly wipes away fairly easily. Bug guts of this caliber were designed to stain. Argh!
Many times throughout my walk, God has provided openings for me to minister. Often they are small windows of opportunity. But there have been times that a door has been thrown wide open and I am presented with a magnificent moment to minister. Think Passion Play or the upcoming Alleluia Concert. These are magnificent moments that many of us are able to minister in. Those are wide open doors!
But we have to be careful, or rather, discerning. It is in those opportunities that it seems that the enemy lures us away with distractions. And if we are not paying attention, just like my little bugs, the enemy will find his way in. While Satan can use outright evil temptation, he knows also how obvious that can be to us. So instead, he will use distractions that disable and draw our attention away subtlety. Indeed these are some of his best tactics.
And our job is to squash his opportunity!
Ephesians 5:15-16 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
Paul writes to the church at Ephesus and warns them to have a discerning spirit. Live purposely making the most of the time. I love how the amplified version states this – buying up each opportunity! Each opportunity, when the doors are wide open, can be made to serve heaven or hell.
That sounds heavy and indeed it is! Don’t take it lightly. But even as heavy as that is, God never asked anything of anybody in scripture that He also didn’t well equip for the task. We are to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so we are ready to discern when the enemy attacks. Trust in the spiritual weapons that He’s given to us.
Well my war against those little black bugs will come to a temporary end come first frost. But they will be back next spring when I open my doors and windows and turn my fan on again.
But you know what? Our enemy (not my black bugs) will one day will no longer be able to attack us! He will be utterly defeated and we will stand with Christ victorious. And until then, we will equip ourselves to fight!
Now, where’s a tissue…I see a one of those black bugs!!
