EMPTY SPACE

“The battle is not physical, it is spiritual, and your mind is the battleground. Keep your mind pure and positive.” (Quote by Jeanette Coron)

Empty space can be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s a good thing when you find empty space in your closet, that is if you are not feeding a fashion, “Got to have it!” addiction. If you buy a piece of property that has empty space inside or outside; space that will provide you with plenty of room to employ your exterior or interior design passion, that’s perfect. If, as it pertains to your work desk, you practice the philosophy of “Everything has a place, and there is a place for everything,” you will most likely have more space on which to do your work. Your productivity and your efficiency will improve. These are just a few examples of empty space being a good thing. But remember, empty space can be a bad thing too. Let me give you two examples, one everyday life example, and one that extends into the mind of believers, people like you. Right?

Let’s start with the everyday example. After de-cluttering the surface of spaces in your house, say the top of your bedroom dresser, an island in the kitchen, a living room coffee table, or an end table in any room, there will be empty space. That empty space can be a bad thing if everyone starts seeing that empty space in the same way a driver searching desperately for a place to park his/her vehicle sees a vacant parking space. The empty space in your home becomes a place for people, including you, to park their stuff in the surface you just decluttered. That empty space becomes classified as a bad thing because you are right back where you started. Okay, that was practical, let me give you something helpful as it relates to your mind and your spirituality as a believer.

Forest Long created this saying while working for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Look! If we don’t use our minds to reflect on things related to our Christian walk or even in regard to focusing on our work in our primary places of responsibility (home, church, and our jobs), or we don’t use our minds in regularly meditating on the word of God, our minds can be an empty space. Yes, a wasted space.  Guess what happens! Satan sees that empty space and will try to park in it, occupying it with things that are more than diametrically opposite of what the Lord would want you to have on your mind. He will try to utilize that space to influence you to oppose thinking and behaving according to the will of the God.

Well, in reference to the latter, what can we do?  I think the quote above, and the verse below will get you off to a good start in handling empty spaces. Read the quote again and make sure to read the scripture inspired by God. Respond accordingly, my friend. Watch out for the dangers that hide in empty spaces. Be blessed!

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 English Standard Version)