A Stick of Dynamite in a Candle Factory

Dynamite is explosive and candles are not! Other than that, they look a lot alike. Both can be lit but one will explode and the other will not. This is definitely not the time for a stick of dynamite to imitate the candles surrounding it by sparking a fire. If you are a stick of dynamite, it’s not the time to say, “Come on baby light my fire.” This is a good way of saying don’t give into peer pressure by being like those who come across as being harmless and having a lot in common with you. They purposely present themselves to be appealing to you, to influence you, to beguile you into sparking misdirection and some ill-fated action. They are like wolves in sheep skin. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Jesus said in Matthew 7:16

The tactics that I run across the most are from those who try to put angry and harsh words in my mouth and then try to incite behaviors that mirror the words. First, they attempt to establish some common ground to say that “we are two peas in a pod.” Instead of “peas in a pod” I should say candles in a candle factory. Except in their devious mind, they see me as a stick of dynamite as they try to light a short fuse with their “harmless” candle flame. I see this often, we all hear about the destructive consequences of it, and those tactics are as rampant as a lion roaming the wilds hunting prey. Peter knew about this because he said, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8=9

In my experience, they use tactics related to behavioral modification. First, they try to come across as something that is compatible to your likings. Then they try to extinguish everything that dampens the ability to light the dynamite fuse. All they want to see is the spark on the wick of your errant actions. They tend to come across with a lot of negativities. Then, they give positive feedback when they start seeing flickers on the fuse. They come across as very rosy and supportive when you start showing hints of ill-fated desires. I do everything I can to let my candlelight shine openly and not be a stick of dynamite ready to burst in public places. I feel confident that, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” as it is written in John 1:5