There’s no way that our cars shouldn’t have hit. I was a preteen sitting in the passenger side of my family’s car, while my mom was driving. All I remember is that a car came so close to us, that something should have exploded—glass and car doors. But there was no screeching of metal or flying car parts (or us).

Mom had turned left when a car zoomed from nowhere and should have hit the side of our car. She told me both she and the other driver looked down to see why the cars weren’t damaged. Mom thought maybe an angel had put his hand between the cars as a buffer.

We all need buffers in life. Not just in traffic or near-accidents. We need “soul buffers”—a defense mechanism that protects our souls from crashing into anger, fear, loneliness, and anxiety. A wall of protection against people’s hurtful words or thoughtless neglect. A blanket of warmth and hope when life’s coldness tries to steal our dreams and vibrancy.

Some “soul buffers” work for a time, but then they wear out or create a worse situation. We can try to evade more heartache by turning on our favorite TV shows or music, by seeking the one relationship that will fix the hurt of all of the others, or by starting a habit that will end up damaging our bodies or our minds. There’s one soul buffer that has no negative side effects, one form of protection that guards against pain or helps us to overcome it.

God is our proven buffer, protecting us from crashing into negative emotions and life-altering choices. He can protect us from heartaches becoming a permanent reality or from bad choices damaging who we are and how we live. But we have to run to Him, to embrace His truth and His ways, and to work with Him to recognize the signs of an oncoming crash and take a different turn. And when we’ve already crashed and we’re looking at the pieces of our lives wondering how to put it all back together, He is the master repairer who makes our hearts whole again and renews our life’s purpose and outlook.

Scripture reminds us that God is able and willing to surround us with His strength and protection:

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. (Psalm 125:2 NKJV)

But we have to abide in Him. We have to stay close to Him, following His path and not our own. Then we will know how to face life’s challenges and avoid the crashes that set us back and rob us of joy, strength, and hope.

If you’re needing some strategies for how to deal with life’s challenges and hang-ups, I would like to recommend the recently-released book, Breaking the Chains: Strategies for Overcoming Spiritual Bondage. When we have crashed into harmful emotions, like fear and anger, or have responded to life in ways we thought would be good but weren’t, like self-reliance and people pleasing, we don’t have to become enslaved to powerless buffers. We can overcome damaging ways of thinking, feeling, and acting when we depend on God’s help, implement strategies from Scripture, and move in the right direction.

Breaking the Chains is a Christian living book, featuring the writing of over twenty authors who share personal stories of breaking free from spiritual bondage and Bible-based strategies for victory. Ron Gallagher has written about anger in an article titled “Don’t Be a Mad Monkey on a Light Pole.” You can find out more about this helpful book on Amazon or at Lighthouse Bible Studies.

When you see yourself about to crash into something hurtful, appeal to God to be your buffer. If a crash has already taken place, use the strategies He gives you to protect yourself from future crashes and to pick up the pieces now. God knows how to rescue us and preserve our strength, joy, and peace. Let Him be your buffer, and continue on life’s journey with fewer crashes.

_____________________

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, a ministry which seeks to connect people to God through His Word. She is also an editor and a designer of Refresh Bible Study Magazine. She has taught the Bible to women and teens, and her books  focus on winning life’s spiritual battles. She had the privilege of compiling Breaking the Chains, which released this spring.

Katy loves spending time with family and friends, traveling to new places, and using loud power tools. She makes her home near Atlanta, Georgia. Connect with her at her blog, Life with God, and on Facebook and Twitter.

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