After finally completing a nearly 15-hour flight, we exited the gigantic plane and walked up the ramp to the terminal. We had left Sunday night from California but arrived in Manila in the darkness of that Tuesday morning. Everything seemed similar to the airport we had left, aside from the slight humidity you could feel from the weather outside. We followed the crowd around a corner and saw lines of people forming in the walkway beginning at a sign that was very familiar: “Customs and Immigration.”
We followed the crowd and got in the appropriate “foreigners” line where we would have to produce our documentation and an online form we had filled out stating the reason for visiting, our travel plans, and a detailed list of items we were bringing into the country. Pastor Rick Martin had lined up a local police officer to meet us in the terminal and help guide us through the process, and to ensure we had everything we needed to get into the country. The line went relatively quickly, and finally I stepped up to the counter and produced my documentation. The Immigration official asked for my reason of visit and where I would be staying while I was in the country. Even though I had all the necessary paperwork and I wasn’t doing anything wrong, there still was an irrational sense of nervousness that I would be denied entry. But instead, he thanked me for my working with churches and stamped my passport with the Philippines stamp. I made it through. I walked away from the counter relieved and excited to begin our trip in that wonderful country.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” In this verse, Solomon is pleading with his son to protect and guard his heart. Countries spend a tremendous amount of time, effort, and resources to build borders, set up defenses, and actively guard their country to keep their people safe. We were not allowed unchecked entry into a foreign country. Why? Because they desire to keep their country safe. It is only logical that a country set up protections and safety measures to ensure they know exactly who and what are entering the country. An unguarded country would soon cease to be a country.
Why then do Christians seemingly allow nearly unchecked entry into our own hearts? The reason for security protections is that not every thing or every person should be allowed entry. Yet we allow social media to influence us unchecked. We allow culture and society entry into our hearts with minimal resistance. How foolish is the Christian that does not put up barriers and protections over his own heart! Every person possesses different strengths and weaknesses; but Christians need to set up Customs and Immigration barriers in our own lives to keep our hearts with all diligence.
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Luke Flood, Bus Director
Luke Flood serves on staff as the bus director and is responsible for seeing hundreds of people in church on a weekly basis. He is a true product of North Valley Baptist Church. Having grown up in a wonderful Christian family, he attended North Valley Baptist Schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. After graduation, he attended Golden State Baptist College where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
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