The Walls that Keep us Safe

Walls can be used for protection. They can keep the things out that shouldn’t come in… enemies, criminals and even extreme elements. There’s a feeling of safety as you sit within the walls of your own house. But what about emotional walls? Interestingly enough, most of us who have erected these kinds of walls did it for the exact same reason: we were trying to protect ourselves!

Have you ever been hurt and thought, “I’m not going to let that person hurt me again!” Or maybe it’s a more general “I’m not going to let myself get hurt again…by anyone!” But in order to seal ourselves in from potential hurt, at the same time we need to shut others out.

I think we’ve all had some sort of walls up at one time or another. But in more extreme cases, we become trapped in the walls of our own making. We cannot get close to people and we definitely cannot allow them to get close to us. We cannot afford to be real or vulnerable. Rejection hurts! But you know what else hurts? The walls we put up, even though the intention was for our protection! Our relationships suffer and so does our ability to be used by God to be a blessing to others.

Without walls, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get hurt. The apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 12:15 “the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” He didn’t use this as an excuse to stop loving or to close himself off from future hurt. He continued pouring out himself to others, regardless of what it meant to him. It can be scary to tear down these walls. And there will be heartaches. But we are called to love one another — not hide away in case we’ll be hurt. Yet even in this, we are not left without resources. “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy Word.” Psalm 119:114. Whereas the walls of our own making can trap us, the hiding place that He offers is available at any time and will never hinder our service to Him, but will only make us more effective. So let your walls come down and experience the true freedom in Christ!