Unwantend Frequent Objections (UFO)
The other day, my oldest daughter was getting her cat from the garage, she comes out and says to me, “there is an animal in the garage that sounds like it’s dying”. My wife and I first thought that there was a mouse squealing to its death that our cat may have caught earlier. I go out there and my daughter points to where she heard the noise. The sound I heard did not sound like a dying mouse, or any animal that I have heard before. She said she has heard this noise the past couple of days, and I grabbed my flashlight and tried to pinpoint what and where this noise was coming from. Then things got strange, the sound started moving as we tried for about 10 minutes to find this unidentified and now moving sound. It was at this point I was able to detach my mind from thinking it was a mouse and just tried to figure out what the noise was. It was at this point that I noticed the sound was following my daughter. As I watched her walking around trying to spot the noise, the sound came anytime she stepped on her left foot. It was her new sandals she just got a couple of days earlier that ended up being the culprit.
I find this story not only extremely funny, but it also reminds me of the passage in 1 John 4:1 that says “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” I share this passage because how often do we have thoughts or feelings that in no way match the truth or reality of what is really going on, much like the sound of my daughter’s sandal not matching the sound of a dying mouse like we first thought. A lot of times in my life I get some crazy thoughts or feelings that are nothing more than the devil’s ploy to destroy me (1 Peter 5:8-9). But how do we combat this and come out on top in the battle for the truth from the devil’s UFO (Unwanted Frequent Objections) to God’s way? I would like to use three analogies through the eyes of a mechanic that can help us sift through our thoughts and feelings to better distinguish between the devil’s ploys and the Voice of Truth.
When a car is first brought into a shop, the number one rule is confirming the problem. The reason why this must happen first is because if the mechanic cannot pinpoint the problem for himself, he will have a very slim chance at figuring out the problem and fixing it. This will lead into a lot a wasted time and money, and even cause strife and confusion. Therefore, all information that the owner of the vehicle can provide about the problem the better. An example of this is a guy a couple years ago come in for what he thought was his brakes dragging on the ground causing a lot of loud popping and inability to turn properly. My first step was to confirm that there was a problem that matched his description, then after I did that, I had to get eyes on the issue. In this circumstance the problem was not his brakes, but one of his front struts (suspension) ended up almost braking in half. Although he got the sounds and area correct, his thought of the problem would have never actually fixed his issue.
This is how we first need to address the thoughts and feelings we get before we act on them or apply them to our life. Take whatever your thought is and stack it against God’s word. The Bible calls it putting our works through the fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). If they both agree with one another great, if not, throw it out because it will eventually be burned up anyways, and we will suffer the loss. This is how God intended us to use His word, as our guide. Sometimes there will be some gray issues, not everything is in a black and white form, but in these types of circumstances, knowing the heart of God by studying His Word will make it is easier to decipher the things that honor Him, even if it is not in a word for word form.
The second tactic comes from the next step in this auto repair project. After I was able to pinpoint the problem, I had to figure out the fix. When I say fix, I am not meaning a bandage to just get by, but rather a lasting solution that will provide his vehicle to be safe and run properly for his safety and for those on the road around. That means after the issue is found, getting rid of the broken part and replacing it with the right one is the only way to ensure the vehicle will be safe for himself and everyone else around him, because our actions rarely just affect us.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:29 “29 Or else how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. Think of this house Jesus is talking about as your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tell us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means these UFO’s (Unwanted Frequent Objections) that the enemy wants to keep putting in our minds, he is trying to bind us up so he can plunder our house, God’s temple. So, it is very crucial that we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), much like taking out the broken car part and putting in the right part that makes the car run as it should.
My last point is very simple, confirming the fix. After every repair, confirming the fix is a must. This is best done on a road test. After I am done with my repair, I go out and confirm the fix. After I do that, the car will get sent out again, but this time from a different person. I know not all shops do this, but to reduce comebacks (not actually fixing the problem) it really is a must. Getting a second set of eyes on the repair to ensure the problem was fixed will bring only better chances of getting it right the first time and not putting anyone else at risk.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” God never meant for us to take on the world all alone. He made us to need one another and even encourage one another towards good works (Hebrews 10:24). We can do this by bring up our thoughts and feelings to our family in Jesus by running a check and balance to really see if our thoughts or feelings stack up to what truly honors God. But to do this, you really must want only Gods way, because it is far too easy to be sensitive and feel attacked during this process. Getting your total worth from Jesus is a must to really make this way of thinking a reality.
Before I wrap this up, I want to encourage everyone that is reading this to not be so quick to run after every thought or idea that comes to mind. Challenge your thoughts and feelings and see if they match up to God’s Word. Be ok with wrestling with God in this way, much like Jacob did a long time ago (Genesis 32:22-32). The devil is really trying to get into your mind and body in order to take your soul to hell with him, he already knows that is his end. Also, don’t be afraid to share your thoughts with your brothers and sisters in Jesus, because it is so easy to run with the devil’s UFO’s (Unwanted Frequent Objections) and get entrapped. We are all in this together and really should live our lives as such.
