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Devotional

Breaking Through Security

by JODIE PINE SECURITY Obedience
Breaking Through Security
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5

We were running way too late. And heavy Beijing traffic brought our taxi to a complete stop. Our driver informed us that the only way we could possibly make it to the station before our train left was the subway. So my husband handed him the money, flung open the door, and the two of us raced toward the nearest subway stop. 


Four stops. Another subway line. Ten more stops. The minutes were ticking. When we had a mere twenty minutes until our train left, my husband said, “There’s no way we can make it.” I grasped at some positivity, “I think we can. Maybe the train will be late.” 


Dashing out of the subway station onto the street, we sized up the long block between us and our destination. Moving as fast as we could, we jumped in the back seat of an available taxi. Out of breath, we explained that our train was leaving in 10 minutes. He got us a bit closer to the station and advised us to not cut it so close next time. 


Sprinting toward the station, I decided to take a risk. I knew that waiting in line for my two bags to be scanned would take precious time. So I ran right through security, yelling, “来不及!” (not going to make it, no time!) 


No one stopped me.


Bumping down the stairs and then along the platform, we leaped onto the train just moments before it pulled out. 


I considered it to be a moment of victory. But now, when I reflect on my security check avoidance, I’m more aware of what the purpose of the scanner actually is. Checking inside our bags to see if they’re safe to go on is like Paul’s exhortation to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. If there’s something harmful inside what we’re carrying, some alarms need to go off. I chose to break through security and it helped us to be able to make our train. But breaking through security measures of thought checking actually isn’t wise.


“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 


Closing Prayer
Father God, you know our every thought. Help us to pause and examine what is going on in our thought life. Just like security scanning machines bring attention to what might be harmful in our luggage, help us to bring our thoughts to you so that you can scan and bring to our attention what is causing us harm. Help us in this way to grow out of the habit of letting our thoughts control us and into the discipline of taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. We want to fix our minds on what is true, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. (Phil. 4:8) Amen.
Resources
Book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero This book is a great dive into what’s going on below the surface in our thought life and emotions and a helpful guide into how we can grow in spiritual maturity by addressing our stuck places.
Song: Who I’m Meant to Be by Anthem Lights I love the way this song expresses the freedom that comes from living our own lives instead of beating ourselves down by living in comparison to other people and trying to live a life that’s not ours.
Question for Reflection

How have you experienced taking your thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ?

Comments
Jodie Pine
May 26, 2023

Before I get out of bed in the mornings, when my mind tends to run down a path of evaluating everything that’s going wrong, I’ve been trying to stop it before it goes very far and change my direction. I’ve been reminding myself of the truths of God’s love for me and delight in me; and those thoughts have been wrapping me up like a cocoon so that I’m starting the day from a place of security and enough-ness rather than insecurity and scarcity.