A few days ago we talked about that house you’re building.

You know, the one that’s gonna hold all of that beautiful furniture and decor you so carefully picked out?

We talked about doing first things first.  Laying a solid foundation worthy of a safe dwelling place.

Now you have a place to put all those things, right?

But we may be jumping the gun a bit again.

If you just leave all that beauty on that foundation and call it your home, you’re leaving everything exposed to:

– theft

– nature’s elements

– deterioration

– animals

So before we go and unload the furniture truck, let’s talk about what every home needs.

Walls.

If you watch HGTV and see all of the “makeover” shows that transform houses, you’ll notice how many walls they take down from the interior rooms to make more space and a better flow.

No walls can seem like a great thing.

But can you imagine if they took down all of the exterior walls?

No more home.  No more protected space.

Certain walls are absolutely vital.

Walls that protect a home.  Walls that hold the insulation to keep the cold out and the warmth in. Walls that guard against unwanted critters. Walls that define your safe dwelling. Walls that contain the windows and doors that allow the right kind and amount of exposure.

This is obvious when we’re talking about a home.

But what about our souls?

We’ve laid the firm foundation of a relationship with Jesus.  The most crucial part.  But if we set up house on this foundation without any boundaries, we are setting ourselves up for emotional theft, spiritual destruction and the damaging elements of circumstance and human nature.

I’ve learned this the hard way.

From childhood, I thought I could live without walls – carefree and open to everyone. Daily exposure to the outside world and human nature should have forced me to set up some boundaries.

But I was determined that a life without emotional protection and precautions was how I wanted to live.  It seemed so open and honest and free. I thought it was the only way I could truly be my authentic self.

I lived like I had an “open 24 hours” sign around my neck.

So I shared everything with anyone.  All of the precious “belongings” of who I was were indecently exposed.  I left myself open to people who were unsafe.  Every last furnishing of my heart was left prone to being stolen or damaged by anyone who heard my story.

As I got older and my story became more complicated and vulnerable to harsh reality, my soul ultimately paid the price.  It was deeply wounded.  I was left bleeding spiritually.  I no longer felt secure emotionally.

I hadn’t protected my things.

I hadn’t built the proper boundaries for my soul.

This wasn’t only true for my emotional well-being.  I didn’t guard my time well, either.  I let my schedule fill to the brim with no margins for rest and relaxation.  Every task or opportunity held equal priority in my day and I had no discipline to set up boundaries with the word “no”  when asked to add something more.

Now, not only my emotions were at risk, but also my mind and body as I crammed too much on each day’s plate.

And we all know that mind, body and emotions are interconnected.  When one is unhealthy, they all take the brunt of the dysfunction.

This didn’t make for a very safe home for my soul.

More than five decades into life and I’m finally starting to get it.

Certain walls are absolutely vital.

After being battered by the circumstances that came from my own lack of walls, I was tempted to build walls that would let no one or nothing in.  Walls that would be tall and strong and keep my soul safe from emotional harm and physical and mental fatigue.

But those kinds of walls leave you in solitary confinement. Like massive concrete structures, nothing comes in and nothing goes out. A soul slowly dies inside the wrong kind of walls.

I knew I didn’t really want prison walls that would cut me off from the outside world.  I  wanted walls that could hold windows and doors that I would gladly open to people and things that are safe and beneficial and good for me. Walls that would protect me and offer safety for others.

I now live within walls that allow my soul to rest securely and freely on my solid Foundation. I get to choose who and what comes in.

My soul is building its proper dwelling with appropriate walls.

– How are your walls?

 – Have you left your soul exposed to circumstances or people that have left it damaged or wrung out?

 – How has your soul responded? Your body?  Your mind? Your emotions?

 – In your fear for safety, have you built your walls into a prison, locking everyone and everything out and ultimately robbing your soul of necessary light and life?

 – Have you learned from the damage done and constructed a boundary wall of protection that also includes the necessary doors and windows to let in and out the good and safe?

***For a great example of rebuilding walls of safety, read Nehemiah in the Old Testament.  It required prayer, God’s guidance, teamwork and diligence. The correlations to building or rebuilding a safe boundary for our souls is amazing and encouraging.