Hiding Ourselves Instead of Running to God

Hiding Ourselves Instead of Running to God

Buffering is defined in the dictionary as “shielding yourself against something or someone”.  I would also like to add the idea of buffering against our emotions. That we shield ourselves against our emotions and passionate intimacy with God.

How many of you have ever done something to shield yourself against painful emotions?  

Drugs and alcohol are used to buffer, to shield us from our emotions.  Pornography is used to keep us from experiencing loneliness and the painful emotions of bad relationships.  Is TV a buffer?  Are sports a buffer?  Are talk radio and the 24-hour news cycles shielding us from our own emotions?

I think YES to all of those things IF they are keeping you from experiencing fully the emotions, the relationships and deepening intimacy with God. 

Can we Buffer against God?  Can we shield our mind and emotions from God?  YES!  I believe that when I spoke in tongues two weeks ago and then in English, that was a way God was wanting to use to cut thru the sort of default buffering we do with our thoughts and emotions when in a time of worship. 

Buffering is less WHAT we do and more of WHY we are doing it.  

One person can have a few drinks each weekend and not be buffering and another person have the same drinks and totally be shielding themselves against their own emotions. 

Buffering is shielding ourselves, against someone or something—the someone can include God, and the something is almost always our own Emotions.  When we are buffering we are shielding ourselves instead of allowing God to shield us! We are running into a strong tower we have built by ourselves instead of into the strong tower of Jesus!  

“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” 
(Proverbs 18:10 NIV)