Why do we have walls? Seems like a crazy question, I know, but why do we have them? I guess the logical answer is we have them for protection, for shelter, and for control. Makes sense enough I guess, but that’s what leads me to my next question.
Why do people put up walls?
I would venture to guess for the same reasons – protection, shelter, and control. But what happens when people do this in their life?
Protection: Let’s face facts. We don’t like to be emotionally hurt. We don’t like being the center of public scrutiny. If people were to see something in us they don’t like, then we would fear we become the center of negative attention. To avoid the negative attention, we will do our best to cover-up whatever may not look “correct” in front of others. The downside is that the real things that plague us or excite us never get out freely. As a result the problems are never addressed and grow into something worse. The exciting things are never celebrated and this can build a feeling of worthlessness. Did putting up a wall really protect us?
Shelter: We like safe places. We enjoy comfort. If given the choice between a plush recliner or a splintery stool laced with razor wire, we’d choose the recliner. Sometimes we put up walls because we like the simple bliss of how it feels, but do we ever learn or grow that way? Think about it. Everything worthwhile that was ever accomplished in life required some work, some thinking, and, yes, even some pain. Riding a bike without training wheels, graduating, winning the state title, marriage – all required a venture out of the familiar. Does putting up a wall for the sake of shelter really make us a better people?
Control: Things happen. Many of the things that happen are beyond our control – wars, natural disasters, the loss of loved ones. In a world so chaotic we like to have a say as to what does and does not affect us. We can’t control the temperature unless there’s a switch and a closed area. Why not do the same for people? So we put up walls to control what little we can in this world. Sadly, walls for this reason rarely work. Wars still happen. Natural disasters still wreak havoc. Loved ones still pass away. The end results in very frustrated, stressed out, and bitter individuals. The only thing these walls control is our own sanity (or insanity). Did a wall for control accomplish what we really desire?
I challenge you to evaluate all the walls you put up in your life and ask why. Did it work? Did it make you happier? Did it make you safer? Did it make you stronger?
I ask this because I myself have done this and have come to the conclusion that all the walls ever did was keep me from being all I could be. It was like voluntary slavery. The end result: missed friendships, missed opportunities, and missed victories. I don’t think it was too fair for me to judge a person based on something someone else did in another time and in another place.
Sometimes tearing down the walls we put up is difficult. I think sometimes we get so set in our ways we can’t even tear down those walls even if we ever desired it. Sometimes we even put up walls with ones we don’t want to put them up to. Even more so, I think we can even put up walls with our very own Creator.
If this destructive habit is something real in your life, may I make a suggestion? Start tearing down walls by being as open you can with the one that made you. Tell Him everything. Let it all out, even the dirty, taboo things. As I read the Bible I discovered that God was never shocked when someone came to Him and confessed something they had done or thought. It was as if He already knew. I also discovered that God has a knack for forgiveness when we are simply open and honest with Him.
Walls are great! They give us protection, shelter, and control; however, when that practice is put into our own lives, walls will surely destroy us. I think those particular walls are not great at all. Please do not make the habit of building walls. A destructive life is not worth living.
