What kind of fences are you building?
My bonus son puts fences up for a living. It is amazing to me the demand for this line of work. He is busy everyday, all day long, putting up fences. In preparation of writing this post, I asked him a couple important questions in regard to fencing:
- How long does the average fence job take to put up?
- How long does it take to tear down a fence?
- What is the number one reason someone pays to put up a fence?
I was not surprised at his answers. He said that an average fence job takes 2-3 days to put up, while tearing one down only takes an hour to half a day. He said that most people put up a fence for privacy and protection.
This visual of his fence work gave me a glimpse of what it is like for the average person who daily puts a certain type of fence up around their hearts, spirits and minds. This kind of fencing isn’t made from steel, wood or brick though, we tend to put a fence up around us called OFFENCE! It’s the kind of fencing that is dangerous to be around.
Offence is much like what my bonus son implied about the fencing world: it takes a while to build and we build it to keep others out or to protect ourselves from getting hurt. But do not be mistaken, the spirit of offense DOES hurt and it hurts much like an electric fence to anyone who touches it, including ourselves.
I’m reminded of the story of Mary and Martha. Mary very well could have been offended by her sister Martha. After all, didn’t Martha complain to Jesus about her? Wow, there’s nothing like being chastised by a family member AND in front of a guest yet! Do you have a family member like that, who takes liberties like no one else could take?
Look at what Mary did though…
“She had a sister called Mary, who SAT at the Lord’s feet LISTENING to what He said.” (Luke 10:39)
Mary took the rebuke of her sister while sitting down at the feet of Jesus! Isn’t that odd? I’ve searched the scripture looking for where it says that Mary got up and threw insult back or where she walked across the room and threw a punch at her sister but instead it says she “sat at the feet of Jesus, listening!” I suppose Mary didn’t feel the need to counter react with reprimand because Jesus took care of it.
Jesus has a way of dealing with the offenses that come our way without putting up tall fences that keep others out. The difference between Him and the Mary and Martha’s of our world is that He is the one tearing down the fences quickly, while we are steadily pounding the nails on the fence slats day after day.
Martha could have been easily offended with her sister and with Jesus. But she recognized that no fence was worth coming between her and her sister and Jesus! God has been working in my own life lately to recognize the offenses that are being built around me that keep others out or worse yet shock me every time I touch it. Shocks come by way of unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, resentment or lack of mercy.
It is my prayer for you and for me, that we can become like Mary and fall at the feet of Jesus each time those fences of offense begin to go up. May we learn to be quick to tear them down and not steadily be putting them up. I know words spoken can hurt, and people do things that we don’t understand. But lets act and react like Jesus is our guest and refuse to let those fences go up that keep Jesus and others out.
May we find ourselves to be listening more and building less!
great post
Thank you Denise!
Fabulous message. You are right; we often build up fences around us to mostly protect ourselves. May the Lord tear down the fences I have build up over the years.