Growing up in a Christian home, I learned to stay away from “worldly” things, especially books I read. Fast forward, as a devout born-again Christian and parent, I now understand my mother’s reason. My mother, a bibliophile, encouraged me to explore various genres, present an oral book report of what I learned, and challenged me to think of an alternate ending and why. But with that came her warning.
She said there is a constant battle over the mind so I should be careful what I allowed “in” because spiritual warfare does exist. Being that curious kid that practically lived in the library, it was tempting to read books that were off limits such as “the dark side.” In fact, I struggled for years contemplating my mother’s warning, daring myself to do it anyways. So I did.
Unfortunately reading texts of “the dark side” heightened my imagination. The overwhelming feeling of fear, as a result, caused me to confess. Besides receiving a lecture of a lifetime, literally for hours (not kidding), came prayer. Prayer to rebuke the spirit of fear, cleanse my mind, and OBEY her instruction.
Today, I wait for the Holy Spirit to lead me before I borrow or purchase the next read.
Photo Credit: NightMareDrug, Pixabay, License: CC Public Domain
Lillia’s Diary: The Bereavement available on amazon.com
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Aneeta Pearson 