Beneath our physically fragile outward looks lies a complex layer of emotions that are constantly in conflict with whom God made us to be. They are the source of the fierce dreams we have in the middle of the night and feature themselves in our everyday lives. They flow so naturally that we, who are the very actors see it as normal. They control our actions, our behaviors, how we receive and interpret what people say to us. It seems to me, anytime we do something, we operate from a certain lens or paradigm. It is therefore not surprising that the Bible says, “out of the abundant of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Our lives run deeper than we can ever imagine. Based on this, I would encourage myself first and my friends that they should not be quick to judge but learn to extend grace to others.
Our actions and inactions are manifestations of what we have believed and the desire to protect ourselves from hurt. This drives us to build and hold dearly unto what I call “The Little Idols” and the heart and mind are two powerful fields where these idols are built. In the book of Proverbs, the Bible says, “guard your heart with all diligence from out of it flows the issues of life”. The Bible makes us understand that God has offered us freedom as his children and desires to bless us and prosper us. Unfortunately, we believe a lot of things hinder us from accessing the blessings God has given to us. These little hindrances are the idols you and I have believed. I may not have physical idols that I worship but I have built up multiple idols in my heart. The same applies to a lot of people.