“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalms 18:2 NLT
A safe space allows you to be vulnerable and not judged. It’s a place where you can run and feel secure.
I love my parents but didn’t entirely see them as a safe space. They tried their best to make this possible in their own way, but I just realised I couldn’t be completely vulnerable with them.
There was also a time when I didn’t regard God as a safe space. I saw Him as a judge who would query me for my wrong. I projected my perception of my parents on God as well.
As a parent, I want to be a safe space for my children. As a leader, I want to be a safe space for those I lead. For this to happen, I must pull down strongholds in my mind so that I can set an example I never had.
God is a safe space, and I’ve grown to realise this. It’s easier to run to Him for protection and safety, telling Him our struggles and insecurities and confident enough that we’re covered. God wants us to express this side of Him to others.
How can we become a safe space for those we work with?
The first quality of God we discover is that He is our rock. A rock is dependable; it’s not shifty or double-minded. Integrity is essential when building safe spaces. Will you keep your word or not?
God is also a fortress. He provides strength. When you are tasked to complete a project, you fortify yourself with all the knowledge you need so that if you are challenged, you have an answer. When people come to us for fortification, do we provide it or shun them?
God saves. When we flee external danger, He saves us from them. When we become a danger to ourselves through sin, He saves us from ourselves. Are you more interested in being right, or would you stretch your hand and save someone from making a mistake that could cost them their income? With your experience, how have you mentored people so they redeem time and avoid errors?
We are all expressions of God in diverse ways. He didn’t create us in His image just for the sake of it. So, let’s be God’s representatives to others.
“I am God’s representative on earth.”
Are you intentional about being a safe space for someone else?
We are responsible for creating better experiences for others than the ones we had. That’s how we create the kind of world that our children will live in.
Leave a Reply