Taking Back Your Couch!
When I was in college I lived for a year on the 23rd floor of Morrill Tower on The Ohio State University’s campus. There are two towers: Lincoln and Morrill (Sadly nicknamed Sodom and Gamorrill) that etch themselves in the horizon of the campus in Columbus Ohio. Morrill is the one closest to the famous football Horseshoe. These dorms are built where the rooms are in a collection or pod of four rooms. Those four rooms share a bathroom and a living space. There are several pods per floor.
I had a habit of visiting the pod next door, and maybe it was me, or maybe it was another girl but the door was left open one night to the main living room and someone came in and stole the ugly institution style coach that came in all the pods. I was blamed for leaving the door open. Weeks passed by.
I had a friend who worked at the front desk. One day he came to me and told me he heard a rumor that there seemed to be some extra couches on the 17th floor.
A few days after that news I decided since I was between classes I would investigate. All I planned on doing was knocking on a few doors and asking if anyone knew anything. However it was a good thing on a whim I brought a roommate with me.
When the doors to the elevator opened the roommate and I walked to the first door. I knocked. I waited. It was obvious someone was in one of the rooms. We saw the lights on. We heard the thumping of music. However, no one came to the door. In fact the more I looked into their living room I noticed that they had two couches. In fact the more I looked at that couch the more I realized it was our couch. Our suite number had been written on its underneath in a large black sharpie marker. Without waiting to find out who was back in the back of that room, my old roommate and I picked up the couch. We quickly maneuvered it out of the room, and into the elevator. As far as we were concerned that elevator couldn’t close it’s doors any quicker. In fact if I remember right that was about the time the RA of the floor poked his head around the corner and tried to stop us.
“You guys can’t steal that couch!” He began to yell.
“We’re not. We’re taking it back. It’s ours. Look!” I pointed to the suite number.
“How did you know who stole it?” He was trying to argue with me. He started trying to resemble a drill sergeant from a crazed military movie.
I explained to him about getting a tip, and I was just taking it back.
Eventually he let us go, and after the dust settled I think I got a small lecture on how I hadn’t followed proper protocol in dealing the situation. But really, I took back what was ours.
I was thinking about this story the other day and began to realize how it relates to our Christian walk. Sometimes we aren’t careful in areas and can leave doors opened in our life unguarded. Maybe we aren’t prayed up and our kids have a wild day. Or maybe we aren’t prayed up in an area of our life, or maybe we’re in sin over something God has talked to us about. Doors can be opened, we can be vulnerable in an area and the enemy can come in and steal our stuff. Our joy can be stolen if we’re not renewing our minds when our kids have a wild day. There are many times we can leave ourselves open to the enemy.
The Bible equates the enemy as a thief.
John 10:10 (NKJV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
If you’ve found that the enemy has stolen your stuff you have a spiritual right to demand it back!
Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Take what’s rightfully yours. Take the authority that God has given you! When Jesus died on the cross went into hell, he beat up the enemy and rose again. You don’t have to be the victim. You are the victor! Jesus gives his authority to those that believe in Him. You don’t have to be the looser in the battle. Rise up within yourself, and use your authority. Put on the armor of God (Esp 6:10) Go take your couch back! Stop allowing the enemy to bulldoze you, or lie to you and tell you that things are never going to change. Rise up in the power of His might. You have the victory in Jesus! Ask the Lord if there are areas you have opened in your life. But you don’t need to quit. Stand on the Word of God! I could have chosen not to take our couch back. I could have chosen to let them keep it. But I didn’t. Take back what is yours. Choose to be victorious in your situation!
God is awesome, keep moving forward. He has great plans for your life.
I had a habit of visiting the pod next door, and maybe it was me, or maybe it was another girl but the door was left open one night to the main living room and someone came in and stole the ugly institution style coach that came in all the pods. I was blamed for leaving the door open. Weeks passed by.
I had a friend who worked at the front desk. One day he came to me and told me he heard a rumor that there seemed to be some extra couches on the 17th floor.
A few days after that news I decided since I was between classes I would investigate. All I planned on doing was knocking on a few doors and asking if anyone knew anything. However it was a good thing on a whim I brought a roommate with me.
When the doors to the elevator opened the roommate and I walked to the first door. I knocked. I waited. It was obvious someone was in one of the rooms. We saw the lights on. We heard the thumping of music. However, no one came to the door. In fact the more I looked into their living room I noticed that they had two couches. In fact the more I looked at that couch the more I realized it was our couch. Our suite number had been written on its underneath in a large black sharpie marker. Without waiting to find out who was back in the back of that room, my old roommate and I picked up the couch. We quickly maneuvered it out of the room, and into the elevator. As far as we were concerned that elevator couldn’t close it’s doors any quicker. In fact if I remember right that was about the time the RA of the floor poked his head around the corner and tried to stop us.
“You guys can’t steal that couch!” He began to yell.
“We’re not. We’re taking it back. It’s ours. Look!” I pointed to the suite number.
“How did you know who stole it?” He was trying to argue with me. He started trying to resemble a drill sergeant from a crazed military movie.
I explained to him about getting a tip, and I was just taking it back.
Eventually he let us go, and after the dust settled I think I got a small lecture on how I hadn’t followed proper protocol in dealing the situation. But really, I took back what was ours.
I was thinking about this story the other day and began to realize how it relates to our Christian walk. Sometimes we aren’t careful in areas and can leave doors opened in our life unguarded. Maybe we aren’t prayed up and our kids have a wild day. Or maybe we aren’t prayed up in an area of our life, or maybe we’re in sin over something God has talked to us about. Doors can be opened, we can be vulnerable in an area and the enemy can come in and steal our stuff. Our joy can be stolen if we’re not renewing our minds when our kids have a wild day. There are many times we can leave ourselves open to the enemy.
The Bible equates the enemy as a thief.
John 10:10 (NKJV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
If you’ve found that the enemy has stolen your stuff you have a spiritual right to demand it back!
Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Take what’s rightfully yours. Take the authority that God has given you! When Jesus died on the cross went into hell, he beat up the enemy and rose again. You don’t have to be the victim. You are the victor! Jesus gives his authority to those that believe in Him. You don’t have to be the looser in the battle. Rise up within yourself, and use your authority. Put on the armor of God (Esp 6:10) Go take your couch back! Stop allowing the enemy to bulldoze you, or lie to you and tell you that things are never going to change. Rise up in the power of His might. You have the victory in Jesus! Ask the Lord if there are areas you have opened in your life. But you don’t need to quit. Stand on the Word of God! I could have chosen not to take our couch back. I could have chosen to let them keep it. But I didn’t. Take back what is yours. Choose to be victorious in your situation!
God is awesome, keep moving forward. He has great plans for your life.
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