Tear down the walls

Remember the Berlin Wall?

 For nearly three decades, it was known as the iron curtain that separated people from freedom. The German Democratic Republic began construction of the wall in 1961. Once it was completed, the concrete structure enclosed the city of West Berlin.

It has been over 20 years since that wall came down. People still go and visit it, and remnants of the wall are popping up all over, from museums to personal collections. I read a report that in the 28 years of the walls existence that 5,000 people tried to escape by climbing that wall. 200-300 resulted in death.

You may recall President Ronald Reagan's famous speech, given at the base of the wall at Bradenburg Gate, "Tear down this wall". Soon, the wall began to crumble and a new found freedom was found for the people of Germany.

Some of the same kind of new found freedom is still sought today by many. But the kind of freedom I am speaking of is a different kind of freedom sought. We build walls around us that need to be torn down. We build walls around us emotionally and spiritually that at first seem to protect us and keep us safe. But all along, the walls keep us from people, from things. The walls keep us from doing what God desires for us to do.

Walls are built to either keep people in or keep people out. That sounds like confinement to me. It doesn't seem to resemble freedom at all. Within Christianity, I think walls can be built. Often times, we lead one or two ways: by encouraging freedom or by stifling one another.

It is the most frustrating thing for a Christian to know what God has called them to do, express a desire to do what they are called to do, but leadership not giving them an opportunity to do what God has called them to do. There is no freedom in just sitting and not fulfilling what God has burned in your heart.

Hebrews 11:30 declares: "By faith, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down."

If God has spoken a vision to you. Do not let the walls keep you from crossing over and fulfilling His work. May God give us the courage and the counsel to bravely brazen the walls that restrict us. Man may build the walls, but God is the One who can tear them down.

Got some walls that need to come down?

Have faith! For 28 years people tried to cross over the Berlin Wall ... now all they have to do is walk thru. I know that our faith in God is even greater than that, what He did for Berlin, He can do for you!