The Real Reason Why We Put Up Walls
We build walls for security. We build walls for protection. The strength and size of the wall depends on the value of what it is we are trying to protect. In this article, we will explore how God breaks down the walls in our lives, writes SEELE contributor Hazzy Redgard
“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.”
The gates were barred due to fear of the Israelites. God had parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through and God had helped the Israelites completely destroy the Lord’s enemies. No one went in and no one came out because of fear. The walls of Jericho were barred as securely as they knew how. Our hearts can also have big, strong walls up, especially when we’ve been hurt (Proverbs 18:19). Putting up walls and distancing yourself from others is actually pride.
“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
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This form of pride tells you that you can deal with everything by yourself, that you don’t need anyone knowing your business, that no one could ever understand that situation you’re in or the feelings you’re feeling. Every person will have certain triggers that they will respond to by putting walls up. Letting your walls down requires faith and hope in God, and a willingness to let God into the painful places (Isaiah 25:12). It’s scary – that’s why it requires faith. When you put up walls around your heart, you choose to be self-reliant instead of relying on God.
This was the story of my life as a teenager. Everyone told me that I had walls up and I knew that because I put them up deliberately. I started to battle with depression at age 13 and unfortunately, I had to battle it alone. Not everyone has a safe space or a person they can talk to. Not everyone has a church community or trusted person they can speak to. And not everyone has a relationship with the Father in Heaven that knows them so intimately (Psalm 139).
The hardest part of me becoming a Christian was letting God into the hidden spaces of my heart, the things I kept under lock and key, hidden from everyone – hidden from myself. Praying through some of the darkest things that I used to keep in my heart was hard. When you pray about trauma you’ve been through, especially when you pray about it for the first time, it feels like you’re going through it all over again. The emotions come up and it feels so raw. We put up walls so that we don’t feel these emotions. Praying through your pain is the first step to tearing down the walls of your heart. The first person you should let into the gates of Jericho (your heart) is God. Get comfortable with God, let God be your safe space (Proverbs 18:10). When your walls are down your heart can be free. Free to love. Free to feel.
It took a lot of prayer for me to finally let women of God into my heart, to let my walls come down and share those dark parts with them. It was scary, and painful, but it brought closer connection, and it also meant that my past has less of a hold on me. This is still an area of growth for me, but I’ve come so far since being a teenager. I thank God for the women He brought into my life to lead me closer to Him. If it wasn’t for the women who serve tirelessly in the International Christian Church, I wouldn’t have the relationship with God that I have today. God brought my walls down and along with it He brought friendship and family. Since becoming open and letting people in, I’ve learnt just how much people really crave connection. You can learn so much about a person by simply asking them about their life and where they’ve come from.
I encourage everyone reading to pray through your past, through your trauma, and heal, because there’s power in your testimony. If you’re looking for Christian men and women or Bible study groups to learn how to grow in your relationship with God or to be open and let your walls down, reach out via email | Personal Instagram | London ICC Instagram.
