Ah, Halloween. A night which we allow our children to, under the cover of darkness, approach the homes of total strangers and request candy. All the stranger danger conversations are suspended for one night in hopes of a bite-size Snickers or some Hershey's kisses. The worst case scenario. . .a piece or two of that awful black or oranged wrapped peanut butter-tasting candy. (BTW-If a house dares provide your children with any of that confection abomination, consider a visit later that night with several rolls of Charmin.)
Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls roam the streets. Spiderman walks side-by-side with Elsa. Sponge Bob races a pint-sized zombie down the sidewalk. Halloween, a night to disguise and impersonate. On Halloween it's all in good fun, tradition. But I wonder how many of us put on spiritual masks and costumes when we come into the presence of Yahweh. Is our quiet time a time of honest reflection and open conversation?
Looking for a way to finish this. . . my thinking is we opt not to be competly open with God. We sugar coat temptations with which we struggle. Our admission of sin is luke-warm and full of justifications. Heavenly conviction causes of to bristle and rationalize. Agreement with God about sin in our lives is something we avoid. But not sure how to flow into this with the Halloween introduction. . . Thoughts?
James 1:19 encourages Christians to be "be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger". Until recently I had looked at this verse as having solely secular application. I needed to listen more, talk less to others and work to control my temper. And, indeed, there is that level of application, but James' advice has a much deeper spiritual meaning.
When we approach God do we do so with a listening spirit? Our hearts and minds should be more focused on hearing what God would tell us rather than a list of demands, concerns, or questions. Just like our physical bodies have two ears and only one mouth, our spiritual self should be more concerned with listening rather than talking. God knows our wants, needs, hopes, and fears. What we need is direction, wisdom, and comfort from Him. He wants to provide all that, but we must have a listening spirit.
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