Wow! Hasn’t it been warm in the last few weeks?! In our British culture, very few of us have air conditioning in our homes.

It’s quite the opposite in countries that are used to sustained hot temperatures, yet there is just one thing we can do in the UK - throw open the windows to try and get a bit of fresh air circulating.

Many of us even sleep in rooms with all the windows open all night, just to keep the stifling heat at bay.

But that opens up another side issue - security! How many windows have been left open while we ‘quickly go to the supermarket’? Fully masked, of course! And thereby making our homes vulnerable to an opportunist thief entering, leaving no signs of forced entry.

In the Bible, John Chapter 10 to be exact, Jesus speaks about being a gateway to life’s best, being genuinely fulfilled.

This gate is like the front door - the right way for someone to enter. However, Jesus also says those who ’enter by another way are a thief and a robber’ – in verse 1 of that chapter.

The point is that we all want the best in life, yet we sometimes, very innocently given the circumstances, leave ourselves open to other things whether physical or spiritual, that will steal our hope, kill our joy and destroy our peace – as well as many other things.

May I suggest that if we have left ourselves open to these kinds of unwelcome impacts on our lives, it’s time to – figuratively speaking – go round and close all the windows. Then only let in the welcome guest through the front door. The best guest you can invite in today? Jesus.

STEVE JENKINS

Pastor Life Central