The Necessity Of Tearing Down Walls

“There are four kinds of people in the world: those who build walls, those who protect walls, those who breach walls, and those who tear down walls.” Anonymous.

Christians should be in the demolition business. But tearing down a wall is difficult, depending on what materials were used to build the wall. Walls can be built with anger, depression, obsession, grief, jealousy, emptiness, self-righteousness, lies, and the list goes on. But why should we attempt the destruction of walls? Don’t walls keep those who have been hurt safe? Yes, but safety isn’t the goal, healing is. In Christ we are to demolish strongholds that keep people from experiencing the life transformation of the gospel. God demolished the wall between Jews and Gentiles, between man and himself. The wall of sin that separated us from God is the worse wall of them all, but God demolished that wall himself, through the blood of his son, Jesus (Ephesians 2:14-16). The opportunity for all of humanity lies behind the rubble

But the secondary walls still stand and each generation has to deal with their own issue, their own mortar. The types of walls that people build are easily identifiable as you engage them. If it is anger it spills out over everything, because angry people are angry about everything. This is the wall I’ve faced this week. It has been expressed, not at me or my message specifically, but in politics, with spouses, with children and grandchildren. When opportunities present themselves to speak truth, the anger spews and shuts down everything in its path.

Our weapons are of a spiritual nature; of divine power. With it we cast down the lofty walls of speculations and opinions, specifically ones against Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). Speaking the truth in love is our aim, the problem is that the target keeps moving and raging.  My hope is not in my ability to convince, but in the power of God to enlighten minds and open hearts. I’m just saying.