DO NOT ENTERTAIN THAT THOUGHT
Some few weeks after we got married, we noticed a pattern. There was a man who made it a habit to visit us. He would come and start greeting loudly, “Pastor, good afternoon”. We were really nice to him. My wife and I would step out and try to make him comfortable. We would serve him food and water. He would settle down and eat.
Then, he grew a bit more confident. He would come and as we gave him something to eat, he would place demand for any other thing he needed. He can say, “Mrs. Ola, I need more water” or “I need to wash my hands”. We were still being patient, but it was becoming something else.
We concluded that we would have to deal with it. One day, he came on a Sunday afternoon while we were trying to catch some rest. We allowed him in. But this time around, I gave him some magazines to read. I then told him respectfully that we were sorry that we could not attend to him. We needed to catch some rest. I told him he could read up and once he is done, he can leave. That was the last time he showed up. We heaved a sigh of relief.
Just like our visitor who loved to be entertained and kept coming around as we entertained him, strange thoughts also loved to be entertained. If a strange thought comes to mind, and you permit it to sit while you serve him with a good meal, it will come again and again. It is enjoying a great welcome.
Strange thoughts are territorial. When they are well entertained, they become bolder. They will begin to control your words, habits and actions. Before you knew what was happening, what looked harmless is now wearing a full weapon doing all it can to wreck your life. How does a thought as simple as “That girl is fine” become an obsession like, “If I don’t get her, I will kill myself”?
Strange thoughts are the real soldiers that we must defeat in spiritual warfare.
II Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV
[4] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, [5] casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
For instance, a thought like, “Look at your mates. They have gone ahead of you” may want to sit down in your mind. Do not allow it to sit. Do not welcome it. Do not entertain it. Tell it immediately that, “The Lord makes all things beautiful in His own time”. If you allow it to sit and you give it a cup of water, it will soon become, “Your life is not making any sense”.
Respond with words when the strange thought wants to be entertained. A stranger well entertained will go nowhere. It is like that person you thought was going to stay for just two weeks and move but the person has now been with you for six months. They have taken over the place. They now have more clothes than they came with. Yet, it is uncomfortable, but you are stuck with them. Do not allow a strange thought to settle down.
What will do to that strange thought? Uproot it! Do not give it room! It must not sit. Respond with the Word always.
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa