January 30, 2019 -- I John 4:1-3 -- Not Just Tidying

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

I John 4:1-3 ESV

All I had to type was “Ma” into my internet search engine and Marie Kondo popped up as the first suggestion. She is that popular. Her books are trending. Her movie channel show is wildly popular. While driving for work one day, I heard an interview with Ms Kondo. What stopped me cold was her advice to “tap the object you are holding to wake the spirit of that object.” Suddenly her organising and clean-up protocols went from folksy advice to a revelation of dark spiritual forces. Her self-effacing manner, high twittering voice and seemingly-harmless advice are a sheep’s clothing covering for a very demonic understanding of the world. Ms Kondo shows herself to be a false prophet and worse than this. People unknowingly walk into her demonic worldview and toy with her understanding of the world. Do not be fooled and do not welcome demons.

Inanimate objects are just that. Dead. Inanimate. Jesus Christ is Lord over all of life, and all who believe in Him are soldiers of the cross. When one plays with the concept of spirits in inanimate things and possessions, one is welcoming the enemy, Satan. He is already defeated by the cross of Jesus and therefore he is a wounded lion, seeking whom he may devour by his lies, with his demonic fallen angels and with deceptions such as Ms Kondo puts forward. It all seems so innocent. Such a simple, fun way to organise and tidy up—but it is neither innocent nor fun. By her methods one puts oneself under the charge of very real, very demonic forces, asking an object “does this spark joy”?

What is truly funny-sad to me is that the very same people who mock Christians for believing Satan spoke through a snake in the Garden of Eden, have no trouble tapping an object to awaken its spirit and thank it.

Jesus, Captain of our Salvation, by Your Word and Spirit lead us through the battlefields of this life. Make us wise to the potential ambushes of the enemy. Forgive us for the times we have toyed with things wicked or dangerous and so taken our eyes off the splendour of Your Majesty. Jesus, You alone have the power and the right to bring us without spot or blemish into the Presence of our Father in heaven. Help us to set aside every weight and whatever might hinder us from being strong and faithful soldiers of the cross. Amen.