I\u2019ve had some wild dreams, most of which were the result of a colorful imagination or unusual culinary concoctions right before bed.<\/p>\n
However, at the end of December, 2004, I had a vivid three-part dream I\u2019d like to share. It came at a time when spiritual staleness had crept into my life, and I needed God\u2019s help to break out of its grip.<\/p>\n
Part One<\/span>: I was dead (but very aware), lying on my back on a cold slab in a dark, eerie mausoleum. Across the room from me I saw three or so demons hopping and dancing about, paying no attention to me at all because I was dead. Although the room was creepy and I was terribly uncomfortable, I realized I was unafraid and very safe. I knew that the demons couldn\u2019t touch me\u2014again, because I was dead. I felt a strong connection to Christ and said to myself, \u201cWell, anyways, I\u2019ll rise up again!\u201d<\/p>\n Part Two<\/span>: As I was looking out my back door, I noticed a cave off to the right. A large bear emerged, and I thought, \u201cI didn\u2019t know there were bears in these parts.\u201d<\/p>\n Then\u00a0I saw a huge Galapagos tortoise walking through the yard from the left side, and I worried that the bear would devour him. However, the bear paid no attention to the turtle. Strolling to join the Galapagos was another\u2014a female (I could tell by her long eyelashes. Stop laughing\u2014it was a dream), and the two of them walked through my yard slowly but surely, without a care in the world.<\/p>\n Part Three<\/span>: I looked out the same door again and saw a filthy white and red tabby cat named Rowe. I knew the bear would get him, so despite the fact that my resident cats would\u00a0throw hissy fits, I let him in.<\/p>\n I noticed problems with Rowe\u2019s mouth right away. He had blackish blisters on his lips, and his lower right\u00a0canine tooth\u00a0was missing. I opened his mouth and saw that he had a blackish tumor the size of half a grape on the back of his tongue. My thought was to get him to the vet as soon as possible.<\/p>\n Upon awakening I realized that God had given me insight into the staleness of my spiritual walk and was revealing steps to recapture the fire.<\/p>\n First, He showed me to reckon myself as dead. Dead people don\u2019t get offended. I <\/em><\/strong>had been living my life very much alive<\/em> to offense and hurt\u2014and it was dulling me. He showed me that dead people in a cemetery are unmoved by what the living walking above them say. In the same way, in Christ I was to reckon\u2014consider and count\u2014myself as dead to the enemy and all his offensive\u00a0tactics against\u00a0me. \u201cEven so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus<\/em>\u201d (Romans 6:11); “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God<\/em>” (Colossians 3:3). Walking in offense was just as sinful for me as having an affair, boozing it up, or stealing from my friends. Uh oh, <\/em>I thought. Time to reckon myself as dead<\/em>.<\/p>\n Secondly, He directed me to put on the armor of God (see Ephesians 6). The Galapagos tortoises could amble about without a\u00a0care in the presence of a prowling bear because of their shell-armor. I, too, could gain confidence and move without fear in the purposes of God if I was clothed in the armor He provided.<\/p>\n And third was the mouth. The cat in my dream was diseased in his mouth. God revealed to me that to live effectively involved maintaining a healthy mouth. I had grown lazy with my words, complaining, backbiting, and spewing bitter words without restraint. In the dream, I had pity on the sick cat and had a sense of urgency to get him veterinarian help; however, I needed to be all the more<\/em> diligent to obtain spiritual medicine for my own mouth.<\/p>\n As I reflect on this dream ten years later, I am\u00a0intensely aware of my need to\u00a0take up these spiritual antidotes once again. A season<\/em> of reckoning myself dead to sin and offense won’t cut it. My enemy seeks to pull me off course daily, and as I consistently<\/em> reckon myself as dead, his job success decreases exponentially.<\/p>\n Likewise, putting on the armor every now and then is as foolish as getting dressed only once in a while! God has given\u00a0me an\u00a0invaluable set of protective armor so that the enemy’s tactics won’t find\u00a0me vulnerable\u00a0or exposed. But\u00a0I must put it on as readily as\u00a0I\u00a0put on\u00a0clothing every day if I want to effectively resist in the evil day, doing everything\u00a0to stand firm (see Ephesians 6:13).<\/p>\n And on that note, I realized that for me to guard my mouth except<\/em> when I get hurt or offended\u2014or tired or bummed out or sick\u2014is about as smart as wearing a seatbelt except<\/em> when I’m in a big hurry, or there’s bad weather or a lot of traffic. To\u00a0watch what I say\u00a0only<\/em> when things are going well isn’t very spiritual at all. But on the other hand, “the tongue of the wise brings healing<\/em>” (see Proverbs 12:18)\u2014even to my own life!<\/p>\n So take it from an unusual dream: Reckon yourself as dead in Christ, put on the full armor of God, and acquire spiritual medicine to heal your mouth of diseased words! These are surefire antidotes to spiritual staleness.<\/p>\n Dorothy <\/p>\n