What do you think of when you hear the word “walls”? Of course, you think of buildings or houses. But what about the walls we put up around ourselves? Why do we build those walls? Who are we keeping out? Or who are we keeping in?
I have built walls around me. I learned to keep myself safe behind those walls. When we build walls around us, we keep others from coming too close probably because we have experienced deep pain in the past. Allow me to ask, if we are keeping others out, are we not also keeping God out?
Until this morning, I would have said no. I would also have said that I experience God within the walls I have placed around me. However, in keeping others out, they are not experiencing my God. I am keeping Him within those walls with me. I occasionally share Him, but then take Him right back with me to those walls. So why?
Past pain has a bad grip on me. I do not live every minute of my day thinking about the wrongs I have experienced, but they are there and pop up when I least expect it. Because if I expected to experience those moments, I could prepare for them, right? Tearing down those walls takes time and safe people. So, let’s talk safe people.
Friends who are not afraid to point out a flaw in a loving way are safe people. Those friends need to be able to know the pain, show you the lies that are within that pain, and point you to Christ. Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Words hold power and how those words are delivered can soothe or destroy. If you need to hear correction, then hopefully it will be full of healing grace. It will change the conversation in your head based on how it was delivered.
The walls of Jericho took an army six days to bring down. An army of God’s people marching around those walls for six days. Those people heard insults daily and they marched on. Those are the people we need in our lives to help us destroy the walls we have built. Speaking God’s truth into our lives. What walls do you have that God needs to destroy?
For me, I am like Hagar. I have had an abusive person (actually more than one) in my life. I listened to their lies and recorded every unkind word and shame statement they spoke. I wrote the story of my identity upon those words. I have struggled with finding my true identity in scripture. Hagar spoke to God’s angel in Genesis 16:13 “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” Allow me to introduce the God who sees you, who knows your pain, and still loves you. He is the God who looks after you.
When we understand that God sees everything we have done and what others have done to us, then we can start removing the bricks of the past. Brick by Brick, lie after lie, we are able to remove the grip of the past and allow healing to start. But healing comes only when we replace those lies we believe about ourselves with God’s truth (scripture). Sometimes we need others to speak those truths to us. So, here I am speaking some truths to you and the scriptures to back up those truths. Write these on sticky notes and put them around your house:
Forgiven – Psalm 103:12
Loved – 1 John 3:1
A Friend – John 15:15
Justified & Redeemed – Romans 3:24
Brand New – 2 Corinthians 5:17
His Child – Galatians 4:7
Accepted – Romans 15:7
Chosen – Ephesians 1:4
Dearly Loved – Colossians 3:12
Holy – Romans 1:7
A Saint – Romans 1:7
Valuable – Matthew 10:31
Free from Condemnation – Romans 8:1
Equipped by God – Hebrews 13:21
Empowered by the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:8
Enveloped in Jesus Christ – Romans 8:35
Light of the World – Matthew 5:14
Salt of the Earth – Matthew 5:13
Formed by God – Isaiah 43:1
Adopted – Romans 8:15-17
Free – Romans 6:22
