Strengthening The Walls
The deal seemed too good to be true. We had been searching for a new car for a while, and to this newly married couple, this was an opportunity that we did not want to pass up. The car was everything we wanted...at least we thought.Soon we began to notice little things. The air bag light wouldn't light up when we started the car. The paint job looked a little off when the sunlight would hit it at different angles. Soon a smell of moisture soaked carpet and padding began to permeate the interior of the car. Something was up.The car had been totaled and rebuilt. It looked good on the outside, but all the little things were beginning to show its true condition. We had bought into something that we were not expecting.Life has a way of doing the same to us.If we are not attentive, soon little cracks and weakness can give way to greater things.
"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."-Proverbs 25:28
Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to strengthen the "perimeter walls" of our lives. When we neglect doing this, each of us run the risk of breakdowns in the perimeter that is designed to keep us safe.Here are 4 Walls to Consider in our lives:The Wall of DisciplinePutting into practice healthy, God honoring routines in our daily lives help to shape us. In Hebrews we are reminded that "no discipline seems pleasant at the time..." If you have ever trained for anything, you can relate. It is not until later that you see the results and benefits of the process of discipline.When we put the right discipline and devotion in process in our lives it leads us to living with the right desires.The Wall of DesiresThe other day I heard someone say, "Whatever you feed will grow. Whatever you starve will die." If our desires are left uncontrolled we can quickly begin to operate like a young child who wants everything they see, not understanding how that choice will effect them. I love when my kids, full of emotion, tell me they are confident that they don't need a nap...even though everything in the UNIVERSE is telling me something different!Desires can quickly become like train tracks, taking you somewhere. Make the choice to follow desires that will push your life toward where God desires you to be.The Wall of DecisionsAfter a few years of life I've come to realize that life is full of decisions. Each day is filled with a series of choices. It is vital for us to operate with self-control in the area of our decisions. When right decisions are made, the wall is strengthened. When poor decisions are made, the wall is weakened.God still loves us. If our faith is in Jesus, we still have salvation. But each of us need to be aware of the slow erosion that may be taking place without us even being aware.The Wall of Destiny Our daily decisions have the ability to build up or tear down our destiny. Scripture reminds us that we are "a royal priesthood, a holy nation...a people belonging to God." As God's people it is important for us to keep the destiny that He desires for us in view. Will the disciplines in my life lead me to where God desires me to be? Will the desires and wants, if fulfilled, bring me to the goal? How are the decisions that I am making each day helping me to build towards the destiny that God has for me?All of these walls when tended to and strengthened have the ability to keep us in a place of safety and blessing. When these walls are left unattended and begin to show signs of cracks we must be intentional to strengthen them before there is a collapse.With all this said, it is critical to remember that Christianity is not about mankind's efforts to clean themselves up and make their lives acceptable to God. No ammount of moral improvement would ever be able to accomplish that. Instead, we must remember that living with these 4 walls intact in our lives is a response to the grace that has been made available through Jesus.There is a huge different between self-control (which is a fruit of the spirit), and self-effort (trying to gain God's favor and approval through our works).
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,- Titus 2:11-12
Take some time today to consider the condition of the walls in your life.