Fences
Pastor Randy Corbin, Transitional Lead Pastor
There were no fences where I grew up.
Oh, there were some very rare ones that the denizens would call “spite fences.” Those stingy folks wanted their real estate for themselves and others kept out. But, the rest of us eschewed fences.
With no fences, I could roam wherever I wanted: into the neighbors’ gardens, flowers, chicken coops, porches, and coal heaps. I got into a lot of trouble: baptizing the neighbor’s cat in a tub of used motor oil, taking pears from another’s beloved tree, and borrowing a girl’s bike from her garage without asking.
The freedom from restrictions allowed playing in the mud puddles in our dirt road, building in the coal bins, and picking the green tomatoes from the plots of gardeners.
The fenceless little village also allowed all the ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, and goats to roam where they willed as well. Having gotten bitten, scratched, and butted at various times did make me wonder if some fences might be of some benefit.
The city-kids knew fences. They had clear boundaries and were more protected than I from biting dogs, the thing I feared most.
You and I have been blessed with amazing, potential-filled minds. The evil one would prefer that we keep our minds fenceless. He entices us to roam anywhere and to find freedom to tromp into muddied and quicksand territories.
To permit fenceless minds opens us to great harm. Under cover of darkness, we may think we can explore one field or another without penalty. But, the truth is that we come back jaded and with dirtied feet. We may leave a particular field but it does not leave us.
So, I am advocating for fences – mind fences. Those that will keep us away from the slough of complaining, the ditch of lust, the swamp of bitterness, the thorns of hatred, and the waters of worry.
When the mind goes wandering toward resentment, I hope we run into a fence that placards “off limits.” When our thoughts are drawn toward fretting, inappropriate thoughts, or bitterness, let us run into fences that will announce “don’t even think about setting one foot here.”
Let us build those fences in our minds. And, let us respect them.
It is not that we are making ourselves prisoners. It is that we are keeping ourselves attending to the riches of the Excellencies of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is inexhaustible in glory, truth, grace, joy, and peace. He is a Treasure trove worth mining.
May we bring every thought captive to our Bridegroom Jesus so we can be consumed by Him!
Fences are a very good thing!
