Prison Much? How About Freedom.

I typically don’t like to write on topics that are always focused on and somewhat overused. I like to be fresh, original and capturing… I believe my writing is a gift from God so my hope is that when your done you feel like you have brushed the hand of God. Not that I think I am anything special. I just want everything you read to somehow open your heart to the grace giving, life-changing Jesus. So, I want to write about something I have experienced in my own life the past few years and try to be as transparent as possible. Before I start I want you to understand that I know nothing is new under the sun and I am probably repeating some old guy who wrote deep philosophical ideas or a songwriter that penned this before I was born or the Bible.

I have encountered hurts in my life that have been challenging to get over, and crippling to who I am. I thought for a season that the way to defend myself from ever hurting again was to build walls around my life and heart so that there was this wall insuring my protection and safety. I mean, I built a wall around my song writing because it was scrutinized, walls around my heart because it had been broken, walls around being befriended because some had left. In a sense you could say I have made Fort Knocks look like a daycare. The Truth: walls are agonizing and more painful than the reality of facing obstacles. All the time I spent thinking I was safe and protected from hurt I was imprisoned by my own fear. The walls that I thought protected me were keeping me from taking a step forward. It is a shame that we put up walls when Jesus spent all His time tearing them down. Jesus stepped on the scene and with every teaching took a sledgehammer of truth to the hypocritical culture of the Pharisees. He did not back down in the face of hurt, but endured it knowing His Father was going to lift Him up in due time. Basically, when Jesus said cast all your cares on Him He meant it in the most genuine and forgiving way. He knew dying for you would be heavy, but He also knew that giving His life would tear down the wall of sin between God and man allowing there to be deep reconciliation. There were no walls standing that day when the work was done. He had crumbled them all. Unfortunately over time we as people have stopped trusting who He is and what He has done and brick by brick we have begun a work that breaks the heart of God. We have decided in our minds that the prison of fear is ok and the cavern of Faith is to deep to dive into. I wonder today if there is anyone as sick as I am with tiptoeing up to the wall and glancing over at your dreams and callings? I wonder if there is anyone who will realize that when Jesus died He died for every fear and every shame. He died so that walls could be broken and destroyed. Why in the world are we spending our time with our hands full of stones when they should be full of God? I know one thing to be sure… Sometimes the wall seems more simple and safe to trust in, but the truth is that it will rob you of vitality and purpose. Please, stop staring at the walls in your life thinking they bring safety and begin removing them one by one. I am writing for your freedom and mine. Here’s a hammer. Lets’ do work.