Strongholds

I have heard the word stronghold described in many ways; a thing or action that you put above the more important things or actions in your life, something that keeps you in bondage or as a slave to itself and, most recently, as something you put up as a wall between you and God.

I don't know about you but I can handle that first definition fairly easily. I mean, we all prioritize our lives in some fashion every moment of the day - constantly (and most of the time subconsciously) organizing and reorganizing our lives and the things in it. What time will we get up? What to do first, do we rush home after work to see our kids or linger over that last pile of paperwork, should I call that friend I've been meaning to get together with...? Our behaviors are the very things that define what we feel are the most important things in our lives.

The second one I have a harder time with. A slave? Bondage? I'm no one's slave!! And bondage - no thank you, I'm not into that either. However, if I truly begin to examine what my priorities look like, I begin to notice there are certain things and behaviors that I would never forget to do, or put off until later or put off altogether...could these be strongholds? Could I be in bondage to them?

Then comes the big one; the whole wall between me and God one. As much as I don't like this definition, it too is true. It's a wall the devil and I have built together and if I'm being honest, I like the wall...sometimes. I like to pretend I can hide behind the wall, that God can't see me behind the wall and I can do what I want. Clearly, I know that's a lie I've been fed by the guy who built the wall with me, but I must not really know it or I would begin to tear it down instead of choosing paint colors and window treatments - which is what I've been doing lately with my stronghold wall. I'm beginning to see that my wall isn't still there to only hide me from God, but from the world as well.

Sure, there are some people I let in if they knock loudly and often enough and there are others who even have a key, or can come over unannounced...but not many. I wonder if we all do this? Probably. What if I am shutting out the very people who could help me tear down the wall -and handing Satan a key? What if we all are?