Walls were important in biblical times. There were walls around the city to keep invaders and predators out. They kept the inhabitants safe and secure. They were fortresses which men defended from invading armies because if those walls were breached their families were vulnerable to attack.
We may not have walls around our cities today but walls are still important. Our homes have walls to keep us warm and protect us from the elements and to keep strangers out and loved ones in. We don't think about walls today. They're just there. Holding the roof up; keeping the cold out. We decorate them and hang pictures on them.
But what about our hearts? Have we installed "spiritual walls" to keep invaders out? To keep strangers out? Are we keeping God out of certain areas of our hearts and lives? Are we using our walls to limit what God can do in us and through us. When I met God I was about as broken as a young woman can be. I had been broken and hurt beyond repair (or so I thought). So I offered God a chance - to do what he could do with this trash heap. But I didn't let him all the way in. There were certain things that were just too painful for me to trust ANYONE with. There were sections of my heart I boarded up and place a huge "Do Not Enter" sign on. & God accepted that. He honored that. He never pushed. He never forced his way in. He just loved me just the way I was until little by little those walls began to crumble and fall. And when the walls were gone and my deepest hurts were revealed he poured out his healing oil and made me whole.
What about our lives? Are we spending all our time operating within the safety of our walls and not venturing outside? What about our ministry? Do we only serve where we are comfortable even though our heart swells with compassion for the broken lives we see every day? Do we close our eyes or pretend not to see. Just like our hearts God will respect our free will to let him in or keep him out of our lives or just certain areas of our lives. But God desires to be the wall of fire all around our lives and the glory in our midst.
What if we stopped vying for position within our church walls and just stepped outside and shared our story/the gospel with one person? What if we mentored one lonely child or took someone down on their luck out for a cup of coffee? Comfortable? Not always. What if we stopped criticizing our church leadership, our ministry heads and simply said "what can I do to help"? What if we stopped being part of the problem and became the solution? What if we stepped aside from doing things "we've always done" and gave someone else a chance? What if we nurtured each other's giftings and abilities instead of judging one another?
The Enemy would flee. The prisoners would be set free!
God desires to be the wall of fire around our lives and the glory in our midst. What if we stopped pretending and just got real? What if we truly got transparent - sharing our mistakes as well as our successes? What if we showed people that we aren't perfect but we know the one who is? The one who can take our mistakes and turn them into opportunity. What if we truly loved one another as Jesus did?
We would change the world around us.
Father God I am sorry for all of the times I judge and criticize others. Forgive me Lord for all the times I slip into being a part of the problem instead of the solution. Search my heart and my life Lord. Reveal to me any area I am not granting you access to. I surrender each and every one of them to you. Lord I want you to be the wall of fire around my life and the glory in my midst. Invade me Lord Jesus. Fill with your fire and let your glory shine brightly to all those around me. May you receive all of the glory Lord Jesus. I lay all of me before you, at your feet. Mold me, shape me & light me on FIRE. Just as your fire surrounds me Lord let me be the spark that will set someone else on fire. Let your fire burn and your presence overwhelm me always. Amen.
Let's change the world!
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