God can give us the strength to face the challenges of living without the necessity of “Gloves”. Too much protection can hinder our effectiveness as we interact with others.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The other day I worked hard on my rose arbour for several hours. First I removed dead wood, some so old it crumbled as I pulled it away, brown, hollow and brittle. As I worked I realized this old interlace of dead wood formed a structure for the newer shoots growing above and I would have to find some twine to create a temporary structure to support and bind the newer branches until they grew into the gaps. Before I did that however, I clipped the newer branches, removing the wild shoots that reached straight to the sky, clipping the crazy tendrils flopping away from the structure, and pinching off the shoots that clogged the pattern of the branches so that air would circulate in the hot summer; hopefully this would prevent disease and pests affecting the roses. I took fine gauge wire and bound the remaining branches to the structure, giving it a shape and form. Finally I tidied up, gathering the fallen twigs and shoots into a pile and tossing them in to the big, green, recycling bin. It would be on the street tomorrow. My hands were sore, not only from the physical stress but also from the myriad of scratches and pokes and tears so much a part of working with roses. As my father used to say, Roses protect their treasures.

Scratched and Poked

A few days later my hands were even more uncomfortable. I had known they would be. Some of the thorns were old and brittle and had broken off under the skin, too small to be seen without a magnifying glass, certainly too small to poke out with a needle, but infected never the less. My husband held my hands and looked them over with concern, “What did you do, and why didn’t you wear GLOVES!” he asked in consternation. Why, indeed? As I stared at my sore hands I thought about how they were sore as a result of their usefulness, and that gloves would have impeded that usefulness. As such my hands were  metaphor for ourselves as we go through life. Scratched, sore, infected in spots, but for all that, useful. Which begs the question; Why don’t we wear gloves?

Armour

Unfortunately, I have yet to find the perfect leather gloves necessary to prevent any scratches or pokes when working with roses. Most gloves designed for that purpose are too unwieldy and stiff. Likewise, in order to protect ourselves from the slings and arrows of life, our “gloves” would of necessity be constructed of metal and iron, like the armour of the middle ages, far too heavy and awkward to be practicable. We would be like young David in the Bible, up against the fearsome Philistine Goliath. Saul tried to protect him with armour but David could not move and so he left the armour behind. He could not face the giant wearing something so unwieldy and unfamiliar. Instead he went after this Philistine terror with his weapons of choice; round, smooth stones from the stream and a sling shot. He tells Saul:

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37)

We cannot protect ourselves, our hearts and minds from the Goliaths of this world by using heavy duty armour. Such armour around our hearts and minds would restrict our natural movements through life. We would be hampered and handicapped in our interactions with the people who matter to us. We would not feel their pain, and thus we would miss the opportunity to give them comfort.

Spiritual Armour

When we learn in Ephesians 6:13-17 that we are to take up the armour of God, Paul is referring to our struggle against the “powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. He is not counselling us to armour ourselves against the pain and suffering in this world. We have all met people with armour around their hearts. People who have been hurt and so protect themselves behind a shield of cynicism and flippancy. These people are hampered in their lives and are not living fully and completely.

The Strength of God

We are not, however, meant to be a barometer for the world’s pain. There is nothing wrong with turning off your radio, clicking past the TV News broadcast or cancelling your Newspaper or magazine subscription. If it is important, you will hear of it; have no “Fear Of Missing Out” (FOMO), some helpful soul will share the latest tragedy! Take a day apart from life to nurture your soul, recharge and refresh, but do not be afraid of life. You will experience pain, unhappiness, anxiety, and all the other pangs of the human condition. God equips us to face all challenges within HIS strength, not our own.

As Watchman Nee said in Sit, Walk, Stand: The Process of Christian Maturity, “The Christian life from start to finish is based upon [the] principle of utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. There is no limit to the grace God is willing to bestow upon us. He will give us everything, but we receive none of it except as we rest in Him.” So rest in Him.

The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him…  Exodus 15:2

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:24

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

The equanimity, peace, grace, and strength to go through life unarmoured is available to us all through God. He is our shelter. Like working with roses, life will leave us scratched and poked, but gloves would only hamper us. Go to God for protection and refreshment when you need it. However,  when you are truly working with roses, try to wear gloves, or remember to soak your hands in hot, soothing, salty water when you are finished, roses protect their treasures!