We Have All Experienced It

Let’s remember we are still human, we are more than capable of hurting the ones we love and being hurt by them. We know this because we’ve experienced it.

We have been hurt, abandoned, and rejected, in the past, as well as knowing we will be hurt by those we love in the future.

Here’s the reality, with greater depth, the greater potential to be hurt.

The more we mature in love, the greater the risk. If the depth of our relationships is an 8/10, the potential pain of that broken relationship is an 8/10, too. So, it’s no wonder the pain and trauma from broken relationships result in us building walls to keep others out.

We will do anything and everything to keep ourselves from feeling this pain again. And that is exactly what the evil one would want.

For us, in protection and fear, to miss out on the true, deep relationships we long for. These walls and these patterns of protection for our hearts make sense. We have been hurt and we do not want to get hurt again.

This coping mechanism is born out of fear. When pain leads to protection, we are limited in our experience of love for God and others.

Again, Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love others, which is why relationships are critical and foundational to our spiritual formation.