Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
Curiosity Killed the Cat
I never had a cat while growing up at home, but my best friend Jonita did. Snowball was a beautiful, fluffy white feline with an unusual easy-going personality. One time, the two of us took advantage of Snowball’s pleasant disposition and sucked up his tail into the vacuum cleaner hose! He was totally nonplussed and we laughed and laughed until we cried at our ridiculous ingenuity. In all other aspects, Snowball was the usual cat exploring every nook and cranny, hunting for prey, and investigating anything new and out-of-the-ordinary. A cat’s inquisitive nature can put them in harmful situations. They can even become trapped, with no way out, due to their curiosity.
Curiosity that leads to investigation can be risky for humans too. In today’s world, information and images on any topic are just a click away. As an overall general warning, believers must use extreme caution and godly wisdom regarding what is viewed online. Adult content is nothing more than a Pandora’s box just waiting to explode on a curious individual. Christ followers have to turn our backs and live differently from what most of our culture is doing. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
The devil works through our mind way before he draws us into the room where he keeps his Devil’s box. He wants nothing more than for us to curiously open the box, which can result in damaging our testimony and ruining how we think. “Don’t give the devil any opportunity to work” (Ephesians 4:27 GW). He’s deceitful and total evil. If you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile. If he’s hitchhiking, and you pick him up, he’ll sit in the driver’s seat and take you further than you want to go. If you play with fire, you’ll eventually get burned. Uncontrolled curiosity will take you on a trip you’ll regret.
Christ followers must use extreme caution and not allow the enemy to steal us blind. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). The enemy will destroy anything that you carelessly hand over to him. This includes, but is not limited to, your witness, integrity, reputation, morality, relationships, and more. Let’s make sure our feet are as sure as a cat’s by keeping them planted on the solid Rock, Jesus.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT). A cat is not the only hunter – the devil is roaming around incessantly looking for prey (Christians). He wants to chew you up and spit you out. Satan is an expert at setting traps for those who are taking catnaps when they should be wide awake and pulling guard duty. God never tells us to do something that we can’t do. So stand against Satan when he tries to get a foothold, then he will never get a stronghold.
“So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you” (James 4:7 TPT). God gave His followers scriptures to warn us about the devious schemes of the devil. If we try to fight him on our own, we’ll fail. But Apostle Paul tells us to, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).
The Key: Surrender every “click” to God. Then you’ll stand firm against the Devil’s box.