Breaking Down Walls

When I am in the flesh, or as I tell my kids “on auto-pilot”, I have this tendency to conform to a robotic kind of personality. I think I’m a pretty friendly person, but really the most important person in any situation is Sam. I don’t like to be bothered; I just want to get Sam stuff done Sam’s way on Sam’s time. It’s not that I hate other people that come into my world, but if they aren’t useful to Sam, I just tune them out.

I was talking to a barista a couple days ago and she was telling me how much she hated working at the coffee shop she was at before because people were so rude to her. If she or anyone else ever messed up an order, it amazed her how quickly people could get ugly.

I could see that. In fact, before I started talking with her I noticed that she didn’t look me in the eye. She had a friendly voice, and a very sad countenance. Anyone who looked at her could see that. But that’s just it. No one did.

So, I decided to break down the customer-barista wall.

I looked her in the eye and asked real questions about coffee. I smiled and responded to her answers and literally 30 seconds later she began to spill her guts about her job.

Jesus did that.

In John 4, Jesus broke down the Jew-Samaritan wall when he asked a woman there for a drink. It was so shocking that we find her rebuking him for breaking the code of silence that culture had convinced her to keep. 30 seconds later, their conversation gets real deep, real fast!

Now, I know that all Christians are unique. We’re all gifted in different ways, but sometimes, we use that as a crutch to lean on when we’re uncomfortable about being obedient.

Maybe you refrain from breaking those socially awkward walls down because you’re not an “outgoing person”. But, being outgoing isn’t a fruit of the Spirit and being an introvert isn’t either. In 2Timothy 1:7, Paul tells Timothy that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. God gave the Church Shepherds and teachers and Evangelists, not so that they would be the ones breaking down walls, but so that you would be equipped to do it (Ephesians 4:11-12).

It starts when you know God’s Word, then you allow the Spirit lead you. When you’re walking in the Spirit, you just tend to love people and start looking them in the eye. You might be surprised at the boldness the Spirit gives to his weak and willing servants.

Give it a try. Be careful though, it tends to be a pretty joyful experience!