“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.’” (I Corinthians 6L13 NLT)
The holidays, these are the times where ripples of influence are grand and go to great heights, trying to overcome our minds and dictate our actions. Of course, there is the tidal wave of holiday displays that try to lure you to go outside your budget and purchase things that have a limited use. “Oh, no,” you say? Well, when you were younger, way back when, did you buy matching Christmas season pajamas for everyone in the house? If you were like me, you did not even have an actual pair of pajamas; tee shirts and shorts served the purpose in every season. Back then, were you concerned about a festive, holiday sweater or just praying for a hole-free sweater from the thrift shop? Laugh if you want too! Do you need another example, a related one? Did you recently walk down the retail store aisle, and as you progressed from department to department, you were bombarded with a sequence of holiday colored displays, matching socks, matching blankets, and matching pillows, matching outfits for the household pet, all with the same pattern as the pajamas that you just had to have? The tidal waves of influence are great doing these times. Influence is like a tsunami.
Holiday leaves of absences, from a behavior perspective, take the place of holy lives in the presence of the eyes to the Lord. Why? It is because of the tsunami of these times, those seemingly never ending, wild currents that bring with them hidden elements of temptation to do something you know you should not do and in fact, ordinarily do not do. But if you do! Damage occurs! Yes, I said “damage!” Damage to your demeanor! Damage to your decisions; conforming takes center stage over being transformed! Damage to your work, your witness, and your worship, all that can occur! The tsunami of these times! The tidal waves of influence, so great doing these times.
People, get their letters messed up, specifically the “s,” the “a,” the “n,’ the “t,” and the “a; “messed up by the tsunami of influence and individuals worry about S-a-n-t-a, while they should be wary of the schemes of S-a-t-a-n during these times. The tsunami, the tidal waves of influence, so great doing these times.
Let me add one more thing, if you don’t mind. Please note that while I am addressing “these times” to help you guard your mind during the holidays, “these times” is also applicable to the days in which we live, all throughout the year. You know our enemy never stops, never ceases to try and bring down believers, attempting to drown out our testimony as well as our vivid demonstration of our faith in God. So, be on guard my friends! Don’t let the tsunami of “these times,” from a holiday perspective or “these times” from a broader, daily perspective cause you harm.
The familiar passage below will help! Beware! Be wary! Be on Guard! Be steadfast and immovable! Be blessed!
“And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (Ephesians 6:10-18 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King