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Scripture: Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah, a man of God, knew that a city without walls was a vulnerable target to vicious attackers. He knew that a city without boundaries is a city whose morale would be lower than the mud on the Mediterranean seashore left by a retreating tide. Walls symbolized strength, dignity, honor, protection and fortification - In fact, all these things scared the Jewish enemies. So much so, that they formed an alliance with one another to go and destroy the Jews and pull down the wall they had just rebuilt.
In the same way, we as Christians need to erect walls in our lives. Not walls that keep the Holy Spirit out, but boundaries that we place in our lives to keep us safe and secure. We often think that walls will simply restrict our freedom - Quite the opposite is true however - Walls bring freedom, protection, security, honor, strength and dignity. I remember in college hearing of a study done on this very idea with a group of school children. A bus dropped a class of 30 students at a particular park that had some brightly painted play equipment nestled in the middle of a large open field. The students were instructed to go out and play in the field for half an hour. The testers observed that all the children ran to the play equipment in the middle of the field and played joyfully within its confines. Occasionally one or two of the students would venture beyond the outskirts of the padded play area only to quickly retreat to the safety of the group. Two months later the same group of students returned to the park and again was given the same instructions, go out and play in the field for half an hour. Only this time an 8ft wire fence was erected around the entire field. The testers observed that only a handful of the students ran to the play equipment, the majority of the children ran right up to the fence and played out in the open field. The students who had taken off to the play equipment looked up and saw their fellow classmates enjoying the field and went out and joined them.
This study gives us a great insight into how appropriate boundaries will bring freedom in our lives. The first time the students visited the field they were given the same opportunity to explore and play- but it was only on the second visit that the students felt safe enough to venture out. The only thing that changed was the fence.
I look back to times in my own life when I thought freedom was being able to do anything I want, whenever I wanted. I learned very quickly that this freedom was an illusion and its road led me to unhappiness, I was never fulfilled, there was no safety, no trust and I felt worthless and alone. God however, began to teach me that real freedom is found in His Word. The principles he gave us to live by are outlined in the Bible. Principles like: Love your neighbor, forgive those who hurt you, do not steal and honor your mother and father. Principles like these bring true freedom if we choose to live by them and allow them to be our walls. Jesus says it best in John 10:10. “The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. But I have come so that you may have LIFE and LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY.” Let Gods principles be the fortification that keeps the enemy out from your life, today!
This has been a subject running through my mind recently and was at the center of a discussion between my wife and I, during our travels through the yellow/green fields of Ohio last Sunday afternoon. Why is such a simple and universal truth, so hard to live out within the Christian culture?Jesus’ heart for unity amongst believers is clear as he prays to God on the eve of his crucifixion in John 17:23 - “May they be bought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me”.
Jesus knew that if Gods children were to live in unity, the world would turn and believe. This morning during my quiet time I read Romans 15: 1-13, go have a read yourself and see the instructions it lays out to Christians on this topic.
It should be a no-brainer, but everyday I speak to pastors and youth pastors who tell me they have no relationships with other area pastors. Its like they live on an island isolated by their different worship styles and beliefs, but with no desire to build a bridge. They’re content to be a candle burning under a clay pot rather than a lighthouse on a hill.
Church we need to live out what Christ commands, that we ‘live in unity with one another’. Let us put aside our small differences, prejudices, suspicion and mistrust and focus on the things that unite us: Christ, His suffering, His death and resurrection, and the truth that faith in Him alone brings salvation.
This is the reason Christ died and the reason we live, to proclaim the message of salvation to a hurt and dying world. Protestants to Catholics, Methodists to Baptists, Conservative to Charismatic the Pentecostal and anyone else in between, let’s unite in this cause together, let the world see that we are one, and let our love for one another be our beacon pointing to Christ. Let us be a city on a hill, a place of refuge for the hurting and hungry, and let us allow the world to see us living in unity by working together in our local communities.
