As I was mulling over Chapters 6 & 7 of Romans, the Lord gave me a parable. What was startling about this allegory was that it came so quickly.
It may have been minutes but it seemed like seconds and the whole thing was complete in my mind.
A man who lives nearby all of us, had sold his home but retained a room in it for himself. The owner furnished the home, a little at a time, with hideous furniture in ghastly colours. What he saw from his room made the man uncomfortable but he gradually got used to it and was invited to make himself at home in any part of the house.
There was a smudged, distorted mirror in a gaudy, ornate frame called Deception. The disheveled bed was named Indolence. The greasy table littered with stale remnants was called Indulgence. There was a dusty old trunk with hidden compartments and secret drawers called Lust.
The lumpy sofa in its strident hue was called Presumption. The poorly-shaped chairs with wobbly legs were called False Hopes. There was a wall-safe with many locks which was called Greed. There was a sign over the tightly-closed parlour door which read Selfishness.
Criticism, gossip and spite littered the end tables with decay. The flimsy door was called Carelessness. Everything in the house was dirty and depressing.
One day the man got an opportunity to turn the house over to another Purchaser and he grabbed the chance for a way out of his despair.
What a wonderful transformation! The new Owner refurbished and refurnished with everything tasteful, co-ordinated and filled with light. The man was allowed the full run of the home and he greatly enjoyed the true, sparkling mirror called Reflection; the bed with clean, fresh linens called Rest; the polished table with its array of the finest foods called Health; the beautifully carved chest filled with books of literature and music called Truth; the comfortable sofa called Assurance; the strong, supportive chairs called Security.
A sign over the open living room spelled out Welcome. Encouragement, comfort and joy bloomed on the end tables and filled the rooms with fragrance. The unlocked wall-safe was called Stewardship & Generosity. The strong door was called Safety.
But ... how can I tell it; how can you believe it? One day the former owner invited the man out for a drink and asked him for a key to the house. He just wanted to put in one little thing, it would take almost no space and would never be noticed down in the basement. Foolishly, weakly, he was persuaded to hand over a key. Shortly after that he noticed a very unpleasant odour in the house. Looking about he was startled to see that almost all of the old furniture was back and he realised with shame and horror that he should never have yielded up that key.
Of course we recognize that house was the man's mind. Why did he turn over a key? What was that key? It could have been almost anything, such as anger, resentment, unforgiveness, self-pity, etc. How come that so soon after one small entry, the house filled up with the old junk again? Because a foothold can quickly become a stronghold!
What should he have done when he heard the insidious whisper, when he heard the keys rattling?
He should have turned over all the keys to the new Owner and had them exchanged. For example: He should have turned the key of Self-Pity over to the new Owner and asked him to exchange it for a key of Gratitude. He would have found it possible to refuse an invitation for a drink at the Broken Cistern Tavern and he would have been amazed at the astonishing delights which could have been opened to him by the key of Gratitude.
If you know this man, tell him it's not too late.
(Proverbs 16:3) - Turn everything over to the Lord and He will cause your thoughts to be agreeable to His will.