Letting Go Of Defensiveness

It's hard to admit weakness or mistakes.  We've all spent so much time covering up those things in one way or another. It is a real challenge and never easy to hear truth and admit truth when there is something negative in our lives that needs to be faced.  We feel insecure and none of us enjoy the painful emotions that go along with these realizations. It’s easy to slip into being defensive.

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.  Psalm 25:5

What does being defensive look like?  We blame or find excuses for what took place rather than take responsibility for where things are. 

This does not mean that everything we are told is accurate either. Accusations from others are not necessarily any truer than our own fearful rationalizations. 

To sort out what’s really going on when we are defensive, we need to turn our attention to God and ask for His help to reveal what is true. 

When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady and when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.  Psalm 94:18-19 

We can give ourselves permission to be a “work in progress” without ignoring the need to take corrective action.  We need to listen well and maybe even get help, but these actions always need to grow from a place of value for who we are rather than a desire to cover up a feeling of inferiority. 

Heavenly Father, We want to live in the truth of who You say we are and what You know about the situations we are facing.  We’re not perfect people.  You don’t demand that of us but You do tell us that if we want to live with peace and freedom we have to proceed in truth.  So, that’s what we need today – both the comfortable and the uncomfortable truths that let us know where we are at today.

When we come to these realizations and feel defensive about it all, help us to turn to You so You can comfort and guide us in the way we should go. 

We don’t want to give undue attention to false accusations but we also don’t want to avoid the corrections we so often need  both from you and from others.  Help us, at all times, to sort out our thoughts and our feelings on the basis of Your word. Amen

Well let’s not live in defensiveness today.  Let’s be about the good things God has in mind for us.