A wall that protects you from getting hurt also prevents you from receiving the love you need to heal. Did you know that?

To you it feels safe – you don’t trust anyone so having a thick secure wall around your heart and emotions makes sense, right? You’ve been hurt before and you’re not going to let THAT happen again. I know – I’ve been there. That used to be me, but not anymore.

The internal walls we build are built by lies we believe and they are held together by the mortar of fear. We are afraid to let down our walls. We probably even paint over the wall with pride so that no one will know how afraid we are of being open and transparent with another person. So we look self-sufficient and “normal” on the outside as we hide from our internal pain and fear.

What’s the lie? It has to do with God’s love. Each person phrases it their own way but basically the message we believe is: “God is not good to me”. He cannot be trusted. His Love is not real. Or it’s not for me. Why did He let that terrible thing to happen to me? He’s not concerned with my pain. I can’t trust Him to heal my pain. I don’t trust God and other people to allow God to love me through them. He is not safe. I don’t really trust Him to do what’s best for me. God is not really for me. He just wants His way – He doesn’t care how it affects me. God’s not ________ (fill in the blank with whatever comes to mind for YOU).

To people on the outside, your wall feels like rejection. They try to reach out to you and you don’t even realize the ways you keep them out of your inner world. You don’t mention pertinent information about your life (that feels too vulnerable). You are very selective with what you share. You don’t want your words to be used against you. Unconsciously you miss the social cues for connection with others and you end up feeling more and more alone. But you are used to this – you’ve felt this way your entire life, not realizing love is within arm’s reach. It’s all around you but you are blinded to it in your fear of intimacy and being known.

It’s not easy to break out of that wall. I know – I’ve been there. I used to have those walls, ever since childhood. I had no idea they were preventing me from going deeper with God and with other people. They stood in the way of His purposes in my life so they had to come down. And I had to learn how to make Him my refuge instead of my cleverly devised walls. It’s a process, not an overnight thing. But it starts with a decision to let Him teach you another way to do life.

Are you willing? If so, tell Him right now.

“I am willing to let You in. I am willing to trust You. Please show me how. Please give me the grace to let go of the tight control I exert to keep people out, even people You sent me to love me. I am willing – help me cooperate and have courage. Thank you. Amen.”

Keep saying that prayer every day until you are able to live in His love without the wall. His love is the greatest protection you could ever ask for. I’m not kidding. At first, I was afraid to lower the wall because I was afraid of feeling like a turtle without it’s shell – vulnerable with no way to protect myself. But the more I learned how to let Him hold me in His love, the safer I began to feel. He is my strong tower. I can trust in Him. He’s got me – it’s so much better than my own self-made walls! SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING I COULD DO TO PROTECT MY OWN HEART. 💗💗💗

Walls are meant to be a temporary solution, until you learn who you are – a Much-Loved Child of your heavenly Father. Then you don’t need them anymore. 🙂

What do you think? Are you aware of any walls that are “protecting” you inside? Please comment below and share your experience – that’s how we learn from each other. You are welcome here – even if you don’t agree with me! 🙂