So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
Galatians 4:3
Some of our windows and sliding glass doors need to be replaced. So, I called up the company that I usually use for just about everything like this. A friendly guy came out and measured the two sliding glass doors and three windows. He quickly and efficiently presented me with a proposal that I approved.
We then started to talk about how to pay for them. And that’s when it started to get interesting. I have a credit card with this particular company, so I said I’d just like to put it on their card. He was elated. He took the number and everything was fine.
Or, so I thought.
A couple of days later he called about the order. He had doubled-checked the measurements and put the order into their system. And this is where the fun begins. He told me that the credit card transaction had been rejected and that I needed to call the 800-number on the back of the card.
Scratching my head a little bit, I took his advice. I called the 800-number and started this conversation with their computer. To verify that it was me, it asked for me to say the last four digits of my Social Security number.
The computer than told me that a transaction had failed and wanted to know if that was the reason I was calling. I said yes. It informed me that my card did not have a high enough credit limit for the purchase and asked me if I wanted to increase it. Again, I said yes. Pretty nifty I thought.
I began telling the computer how much I wanted to increase my credit limit to, but then it his me. How much would be enough? Did I just want to increase it a little bit for these windows, or did I want to bump it up just in case something came up.
How much was enough? When would enough be enough?
Do you know any people like this? They never, never, never seem to be satisfied. Whatever they have is not enough. No matter how much you give them, it’s never enough.
Paul’s asking a similar question here. How long would it be for the underage heirs to be still be under the control of those spiritual forces that were the very basic. Just like our educational system, they were still in elementary school. Not very advanced. Not very smart. Not very powerful.
He’s looking at the spiritual forces that try and look at the world in a simple way. Where one thing always leads to another. You’re always needing to do something else. You always have to perform another good deed.
With these elemental spiritual forces, you’re always in debt. You’re never able to get out from underneath their pushing you down. They are always saying, “Just one more sacrifice. Just one more gift. Just one more good work.
And after you’ve done it, they ask for another. And another. Just one more. And then another. It never stops. They’re never satisfied. Their stomach is never full and their heart is never contented.
That’s the way it is with the enemy.
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
Genesis 4:7
They are always there, crouching right at the door of our live. And they’re not there to encourage or help either. Not at all. Their one thought is to pounce at the first sign of stumbling, weakness, or temptation.
Their whole being is coiled up like a spring, ready to explode into action. We may be expecting it, or it might come as a complete surprise. But it doesn’t matter when they come. The important thing is that we need to expect that they are coming like a freight train.
I can’t speak for you, but I’ve come to experience the crouching and pouncing of the enemy. It’s never pretty. They come unexpectedly when I’m not looking.
Sometimes I respond by going immediately to my loving Heavenly Father. Looking for protection. Looking for his power. I run into his presence and hide in his everlasting arms[1].
But most of the time I either sulk or pout. I hang my head and say, “Why? Why me? Oh, woe is me. Why is life so hard and painful?” I’m not proud of these words or feelings, but that’s what comes out of my mouth and heart.
The really good news is that God does not turn away from us. He keeps calling us to himself. He keeps coming to us. He keeps reaching out to us.
Now that’s something where enough is never enough.
[1] Deuteronomy 33:27
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