WALLS

“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, 

no barriers except those ourselves erect.” Ronald Reagan

Why do we build walls? I am questioning both, the figurative and the literal wall that we build. My first response to this question is to protect ourselves. Since this answer came so quickly I wasn’t completely satisfied. I decided to do a little research on three famous walls and linked them to the figurative walls we build around our hearts. Travel with me as we explore the Great Wall of China, The Berlin Wall, the wall of Jericho, and what they have in common with the walls we build around our hearts.

How many walls do you or have you had built around your heart? If you are like me,  you have or had many walls protecting your heart. It is your defense to keep you from getting hurt. If this is you, you built your walls like the Chinese did when they constructed The Great Wall of China. There are many walls that make up The Great Wall of China and much like the walls around our hearts it took years to build, 2,ooo to be exact. While building the walls many laborers died and were buried in the wall. Many times we are so consumed with building our walls that we push our feelings down so deep they become buried. Overtime, we become numb to these feelings and more walls go up to help us suppress them.

Eventually, those walls that were built to protect us from getting hurt prevents any type of emotion from entering or leaving our hearts. Nothing enters in and nothing goes out, much like the Berlin wall. The wall separated the communist from the capitalist or East Germany from West Germany. The citizens of East Germany were fleeing to the West to escape the communist rule. To prevent the citizens from fleeing they built the Berlin wall, also known as the Iron Curtain. The Germans could no longer travel from East to West and vice versa. The issue at hand wasn’t dealt with and caused more turmoil amongst the Germans. The walls around our hearts keep us from dealing with the issue that caused the hurt and can eventually cause more harm. The thicker the walls and the longer they stand the harder it is to remember why they were built in the first place. After standing for thirty years the Berlin wall was knocked down, but not before President Ronald Reagan expressed his feelings about it. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

I pray God will put someone in your path that will say, “tear down this wall!” Hopefully, it won’t take thirty years to knock down. It’s possible that it could take seven days. I know what you’re thinking, there is no way the walls that I built could be knocked down that quickly, nor do I want them to be knocked down. I know that is how I felt, and I’m pretty sure the people of Jericho felt the same way. After all, the retaining wall was 12-15 ft. high and on top of it was a 6 ft. thick, 20-26 ft. high mudbrick wall. At the highest point, the wall around Jericho stood 46 ft. above ground level. The citizens of Jericho built this enormous wall knowing nothing and no one could knock it down. It’s the same with the walls we build around our hearts, they are built with the intentions of them never being knocked down. The truth is, if those walls aren’t knocked down you could be missing out on the best life God has to offer you.

There is no way the Israelites could’ve entered The Promise Land through Jericho without a miracle from God. Maybe you feel the same way, I know I did, the only way the walls around your heart are going to fall is by a miracle from God. It may hurt and be difficult to allow those walls to fall but think about what you could be missing on the other side. It was, “by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being encircled by the Israelites for seven days.” (Hebrews 11:30) It is by faith that God can knock down your walls. You have to trust Him and know He will see you through. Will you be “brave and courageous” and let God knock down your wall so you can reach your promised land? Take it one day at a time and leave the rest up to God. I pray you will start marching, trusting and keeping the faith that God will knock down all walls keeping you from the best God has planned for you.  Until next time, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you” Numbers 6:24