"Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite."
Psalm 147:5
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m pretty sure my Jesus spends a lot of time in a box.
I’m quick to pull Him out on Sunday mornings for church, and when I can remember at breakfast, lunch and dinner. He’s also free to come out when I can manage to stay awake for my bedtime prayers, or in the extreme cases when I really need something from Him.
How sad is that?
Basically, I’m guilty of thinking of myself as bigger than Jesus; thinking that I can do things better my own way and in my own time. And because of that, I put Him in a little box with four walls, and I just pull Him out to talk when I’ve ran out of options and it’s convenient. I give Him rules, set boundaries, and place limitations on what He can do, where He can do it and when He can do it.
Because that’s how I stay in control.
Just like doubting Thomas, I can’t see Him, and I can’t always feel Him, either. I believe with all of my heart that the God that lives in me is the same God that parted the Red Sea, healed the blind, and is just as great a God today as was back then. But sometimes-when the enemy sends distractions in the form of temptation, stress, anger, or fear-I quickly forget.
And suddenly, God’s in a box again.
I know He’s capable of anything and everything, but I don’t trust what I can’t see, what I can’t feel at that very moment. And because of that, I falter. I try to fix things myself, take care of whatever is wrong, and I don’t talk to Jesus as a friend. I don’t ask Him to help me. I don’t thank Him when He does. And I certainly don’t let my light shine for Him in a dark and dying world, because that would mean giving up control, and giving someone else the credit.
But what If I took Jesus out of His box, and left Him out? What If I treated Him more like a friend-a Heavenly Father- and less like a story book character?
If I could focus on His presence daily in my life, I have no doubt that unthinkable things would happen. Because if I removed those boundaries from Him and stripped away the walls I’ve created myself, He would be unleashed to unload insane amounts of grace into my then-willing heart. I would come to Him for anything and everything-free of fear and condemnation-and He would rule my life, finally able to do amazing things in and through me as a willing vessel.
Miraculous things.
God doesn’t live in a box, and actually impossible for us to really put Him in one, but we can definitely hinder His power in our lives when we don’t trust Him. If we are looking to ourselves, we won’t get far. But if we can plug ourselves into the amazing power source that He is, we’ll shine so bright that nothing the enemy can send our way will ever be powerful enough to stop us, we’ll be able to accomplish anything (Philippians 4:13).
God wants to be powerful in our lives, to do great works through us and to shine His light through us every second of every day. He doesn’t want to be limited by our lack of faith, or defined by what our human minds believe He can and can’t do. But in order for Him to truly do remarkable things in our lives and in the lives of those around us, we have to fully trust Him, even when we can’t see Him or touch His nail scarred hands. Even when we can’t feel His presence or hear His still small voice.
No matter what, we have to seek Him, live Him, breathe Him.
And let Him out of that box.
Do you put limitations on the power of God by putting Him in a box, like me?
What can you do to make Him more real, more prominent in your life?
What will it take for you to let Him out and leave Him out?
I’m quick to pull Him out on Sunday mornings for church, and when I can remember at breakfast, lunch and dinner. He’s also free to come out when I can manage to stay awake for my bedtime prayers, or in the extreme cases when I really need something from Him.
How sad is that?
Basically, I’m guilty of thinking of myself as bigger than Jesus; thinking that I can do things better my own way and in my own time. And because of that, I put Him in a little box with four walls, and I just pull Him out to talk when I’ve ran out of options and it’s convenient. I give Him rules, set boundaries, and place limitations on what He can do, where He can do it and when He can do it.
Because that’s how I stay in control.
Just like doubting Thomas, I can’t see Him, and I can’t always feel Him, either. I believe with all of my heart that the God that lives in me is the same God that parted the Red Sea, healed the blind, and is just as great a God today as was back then. But sometimes-when the enemy sends distractions in the form of temptation, stress, anger, or fear-I quickly forget.
And suddenly, God’s in a box again.
I know He’s capable of anything and everything, but I don’t trust what I can’t see, what I can’t feel at that very moment. And because of that, I falter. I try to fix things myself, take care of whatever is wrong, and I don’t talk to Jesus as a friend. I don’t ask Him to help me. I don’t thank Him when He does. And I certainly don’t let my light shine for Him in a dark and dying world, because that would mean giving up control, and giving someone else the credit.
But what If I took Jesus out of His box, and left Him out? What If I treated Him more like a friend-a Heavenly Father- and less like a story book character?
If I could focus on His presence daily in my life, I have no doubt that unthinkable things would happen. Because if I removed those boundaries from Him and stripped away the walls I’ve created myself, He would be unleashed to unload insane amounts of grace into my then-willing heart. I would come to Him for anything and everything-free of fear and condemnation-and He would rule my life, finally able to do amazing things in and through me as a willing vessel.
Miraculous things.
God doesn’t live in a box, and actually impossible for us to really put Him in one, but we can definitely hinder His power in our lives when we don’t trust Him. If we are looking to ourselves, we won’t get far. But if we can plug ourselves into the amazing power source that He is, we’ll shine so bright that nothing the enemy can send our way will ever be powerful enough to stop us, we’ll be able to accomplish anything (Philippians 4:13).
God wants to be powerful in our lives, to do great works through us and to shine His light through us every second of every day. He doesn’t want to be limited by our lack of faith, or defined by what our human minds believe He can and can’t do. But in order for Him to truly do remarkable things in our lives and in the lives of those around us, we have to fully trust Him, even when we can’t see Him or touch His nail scarred hands. Even when we can’t feel His presence or hear His still small voice.
No matter what, we have to seek Him, live Him, breathe Him.
And let Him out of that box.
Do you put limitations on the power of God by putting Him in a box, like me?
What can you do to make Him more real, more prominent in your life?
What will it take for you to let Him out and leave Him out?
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