As an
infant, most of us are properly cared for by our parents; although, more often
in these days in which we live, children are no longer cherished and nurtured.
Regardless
of our upbringing, however, life rarely pulls its punches. It deals out a
lifetime of hard knocks, abuse, neglect and disappointments.
We learn
to keep more to our self, in order to give people and circumstances fewer
chances to hurt us. We want to stay safe from a world, which often frightens
us.
We continue
to reach out to other people, and to help them in any way we can; but suspicion
taints the way we view people and opportunities, which come our way.
We are
programmed to believe that the good times will never last, because they never
did in the past. We stop looking forward to things; and we never believe
promises, because they rarely if ever happen.
We miss
opportunities, which we would enjoy, because we are afraid to trust the leading
of God's Spirit. We stay home rather than to take risks to meet new people and
to share God's love with them.
We learn
to build walls to hide behind in an attempt to protect our self. However, these
very walls only serve to keep us restrained in the confinement of our own
making.
We try to
escape these walls through addictions, the wrong friends and mate, busyness,
hobbies, projects and over-achieving in areas, which do not really matter.
We
imprison our true self behind those walls, which were meant to keep us safe. We
can never live a full life as long as we continue to hinder our whole body,
soul and spirit from living free in Christ (Galatians 5:1).
Prayer:
Father
God, we wall up our heart, because vulnerability makes us susceptible to
victimization and neglect. You advise us to guard our heart from sin, but not
from other people. You actually expose us to disappointment in this life to
show us the magnitude of Your continual love and nurture for us.
Remind us
that when we are the weakest and the most vulnerable, then You are the
strongest and closest to us in order to fight on our behalf (2 Corinthians
12:9-11; Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 3:22).
Therefore,
we can entrust our body, soul and spirit to You and Your protection and care
(Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). We can run into the safety of Your everlasting arms
(Isaiah 41:10).
Thought
for the Day:
We fear
vulnerability; therefore, we hide our true self behind walls of our own making;
but God protects us from our enemies and is a strong tower into which we can
run and be safe. - Psalm 18:2, 10
