Mouse in the House
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (ESV)
Every now and then we get a little furry, four-legged visitor in the house. The evidence is in the pantry, behind the canned goods where there will be small, chewed holes in the cereal box or chips. Poor little thing! However, not everyone feels that way. While they might startle me, I don’t worry too much about sharing space.
When everything is quiet and I am sitting here at my writing desk, sometimes I can hear it (them) looking for crumbs. Have you ever thought about what they might be hearing? To them, we must sound like giants stomping by. Our voices might register as category hurricane 5 sounds and when we drop things, it must be like an earthquake to them.
Here is something else to think about: what do they hear us saying? From their hiding place on the shelf, what can they see us doing? Maybe, just maybe, they watch as we hurriedly head out the door for church on Sunday morning. But what words do they hear us say by Wednesday when we are tired and worn out?
When the garbage disposal quits working with a full load of leftovers, what do we say? If the in-laws stop in for an unannounced visit during nap time on Sunday afternoon, what comments do they hear? Should we be a little late getting the car started for work and the engine doesn’t turn over, are we singing joyous songs of praise?
Could the Holy Spirit be a lot like that mouse, hearing and seeing everything we do? We are so prone to exploding with explicative language when confronted with a challenge. Not only that but we tend to put ourselves down and shower negative words and thoughts in difficult times. If I were a mouse, I would certainly hide.
The times when I get like that, I have to calm down first and sometimes I cry or whisper, “Jesus!”, and sometimes I scream, “Jesus, help me!” When I have regained a modicum of peace again, I can look at the situation with semi-clarity. I have come to the conclusion that I will always need the help of the Holy Spirit in my life. That is a no-brainer! I will also need the love of Jesus to comfort me and His forgiveness for my thoughts and behavior. Another no-brainer!
Heavenly Father, I want to follow You every day. Help me to be strong and stand firm for You even when old habits call me back. AMEN.