Mom claimed I had been conceived in the Sierras, so I came by my love for them honestly. And in several decades of hiking and camping and fishing and driving through them, I never had any issues with bears. Until I did. Guys from our church camped in Gray’s Meadow outside Independence in 1990, and after chasing trout on other streams we came back to a campsite in chaos with missing items. The campground host came over, explaining that a bear had strolled in and messed up a number of sites looking for food, and that when the bear left the host placed our gear in a safe spot.
The winter before hadn’t produced much snow or rain, and the drought drove the bears down from the mountains to find easy pickings. Kind of an Indian gambling resort buffet for bears. So the camping pros told us to lock all foodstuffs in our cars, but the wise bears soon learned how to break windows. Now federal campsites place “bear boxes” in each site, and federal law requires we use them for all food. Anytime we leave camp. Every night. Yeah, including toothpaste. Seems bears really like Pepsodent. 😉
And now we’re safe from bears, protected by bear boxes. But, a question for us all. What “bear boxes” protect our faith? Our character? Our soul? Have we considered the dangers, and taken steps to keep safe from Satan? Here’s some areas where we may need spiritual bear boxes.
Our emotions bring both joy and vulnerability, so let’s monitor how much we allow them to guide our decisions, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Our language often leads us into trouble, especially in these partisan times, so “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” (Proverbs 4:24). To paraphrase a warning we were given as children, “Think three times before you start to speak; use your mind and then your lips.” OK, the rhyme goes bad, but the advice is good.
Our eyes need protection, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:25). Our world today gives a host of visual temptations, so find what triggers you to go down a bad road, and look straight ahead.
Our path through life brings dangers and obstacles, especially when we take wrong turns. So let’s plan the basic direction of our faith, and be willingly to brutally avoid temptations to stray, “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27).
Obviously, we all face a lot more issues where we need protection, but think about these four as learning tools, showing the need to examine our vulnerabilities and weaknesses and strengths, so we can prayerfully craft a strategy to build some bear boxes.
Kick Starting the Application
Think a bit about your life, and do any of those four bring special struggles to you? Why is that? What walls of protection can you build there? Now, go beyond these four. Do you have some other areas that need some boxing in? What will you do this week?