I live in a resort area, a place known for its vacation homes used to escape the dark cold winters of the northern climes. It is a very strange place to call home. It’s comfortable most of the year, but the summer is brutally hot, which is why most people don’t stick around. “Snowbirds” return to their northern homes for the summer. Those of us who live here make our travel plans to visit friends and family in other parts of the country in the summer. So right now, in August, there are a lot of empty houses and quiet streets.

The problem is, houses like to be lived in. If you own a home and have left it vacant for any amount of time, you’ll know what I mean. Gaskets dry up and crack, causing leaks. Critters feel free to roam about making a mess. Cobwebs appear. Mold grows. Dust piles up. And sometimes thieves take the opportunity to break in and rob the empty houses.

Our spiritual lives are like these houses. If we stop inhabiting the space, things begin to break down. Bad ideas leak in, morals pile up with dust, integrity sags, and the devil seizes his opportunity to come in and start banging around, taking whatever he can.

“Be sober-minded, be alert.  Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” (1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬, ‭CSB)‬‬

Keeping a home running smoothly takes constant vigilance. Every day there are things to do to maintain its health. From simply taking the trash out and flushing the toilets to patching leaks and replacing the roof.

My spiritual life requires just as much attention. Every day I must come to God with humble repentance to eagerly seek forgiveness. I need to read the owners’ manual, the Bible, to make sure I’m doing it right. If I stay vigilant, I can enjoy the peace of a solid, secure spiritual home in the presence of a beautiful and loving God.

Dear God, thank you for the comfortable home you have blessed me with. Thank you for reminding me that my spiritual life needs just as much attention. Forgive me for the times I have let maintenance issues lapse. Heal me and restore me to a healthy relationship with you. Protect me from thieves and devils both.