Feelings: Tearing Down the Walls 

Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org

Today's Scripture
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."    John 8:32 NIV

Thoughts for Today
Have you ever tried to hold an inflated toy underwater? That can be hard work! And yet, we often work even harder to keep our true feelings out of view. We build walls around our real selves and around any problems we may be struggling with.

The self-constructed walls cause us to isolate ourselves from other people and even from God. They cause us to hide from the truth about a problem that has a hold on us. These walls we build are called defenses. Defenses can take many forms: rationalization, humor, blaming, denying. We might say things like "What I did isn't so bad" or "You don't understand the pressure I'm under." Sound familiar? We've all used defenses like these to cover the truth.

When we are hiding behind the defenses, we are attempting to hide the truth about ourselves and our situation—from God, from other people, and even from ourselves. We are also blinding ourselves from the truth of God's Word. And yet our only answer is in the truth—because the truth will set us free.

Consider this …
Have you built walls around yourself? Walls that you hoped would defend you. Walls that in reality are blocking the road to freedom. It is important to recognize those walls and begin to tear them down. But remember, you can't tear them down all at once. Building them was a process, and so is tearing them down. It's done by being honest with God, with yourself, and with others. It's done by learning to trust the truth of the Bible more than your feelings.

Prayer
Father, I realize I've been trying to hide the truth by building walls around myself. I've rationalized. I've pointed the finger at others. I've denied. But the truth is that I need your help. Help me to be honest with you, with others … and with myself. Help me to depend on the truth of your Word more than on my feelings. Help me to tear down the walls.
 In Jesus' name …

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©Living Free 2020. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day® devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN, www.LivingFree.org. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending an e-mail to info@LivingFree.org