Getting Out of the Box

John Belt
John Belt

2 Corinthians 3:17
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Freedom is your inheritance in the Lord. There is nothing that is worth throwing this away. Stand firm in the liberty that Christ has promised to you.
Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

I. Getting Out of the Box
John 15:9
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”

God calls us to a life of simple faith, transparency, honesty and dependency. A life that is intimately connected to Him is a life that will thrive with abundance of life, joy and peace. It is all too common for many to get caught in the busyness of life and miss the greatest portion that the Lord has set aside for His own. He does not delight in what we do as much as He delights in our desire and choice to be with Him. God is not concerned with our “performance”. He is concerned with our “connection” with Him. Just as a vehicle cannot perform without fuel, so we cannot do what He has called us to do without being with Him. He is the Source of strength for us.
II. No Lack No Limitation
Matt 19:26-27
“But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
When we are caught up in the mechanics of man-made kingdoms, rather than the Kingdom of God, we find ourselves caught in the vicious cycle of burnout. Just as Daniel prophesied man would be running to & fro so the spirit of busyness is easily found in lives that have lost that intimate connection with God. God calls us to live outside the box of man’s thinking that locks up the soul of man and hinders the belief in an amazing God that has no limitations within the divine destiny for our lives. For all things are possible with God and there are no limitations. Our lives must be connected to Him in such a way that we do not allow the box of limitations into out lives. A box represents limitations. You cannot go anywhere in a box. You are trapped to only do what is possible to be done in a box, which is not much! Just as six is the number of man so a box has six sides. To live in a box is to be trapped and kept from the abundant blessings of God. Cursed is the man who makes the flesh his strength. (Jeremiah 17:5)
III. Trained By the Spirit
John 14:26
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
The transformation of our thinking is of utmost importance to live outside of the box of man’s thinking. If everything we do is based on trusting in man’s wisdom then we will not get far in His call and destiny for our lives. But if we allow the Spirit and His Word to train our minds – we can learn of the Spirit, follow the promptings of the Spirit through our communion with Him in our inner man. It is by living by faith that we begin to live outside of the box. Most people get saved by faith, but then try to live for God through works, just doing good things and miss the life that lives by the spirit of faith. Much of this comes when we think we need to know everything before we follow the voice of the Lord. Each choice that we make trains us to live either by faith or by the natural mind. A stronghold is created in the mind being formed by a pattern of decisions. A stronghold becomes established over time through choices we make. There are good strongholds and there are bad ones. We should desire to develop strongholds of faith in God and His ability to deliver and deliver the goods! If there are strongholds of the enemy that have come over time because of making the wrong choices, thanks be to God,there is not one stronghold that He cannot tear down! So by our recognition of strongholds He can quickly get us moving the right direction and bring speedy deliverance. The entrance of His Word gives light and understanding to the simple. (Psalm 119:130)
IV. The Power of His Love
Hebrews 12:7
“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? “
There are many things that cause us to find security inside of a box, a plan, a movement or something that is other than simply finding our identity in Him. In all cases it points to the root of damaged faith and trust. There is an innate power in God’s love that causes one to trust. It is the amazing acceptance that God gives that is irresistible and causes us to run to Him. But if we have a distorted picture of how our Father in Heaven acts toward us and how He deals with us then it affects our relationship with him and our relationship with others. Those who are hard on themselves are also hard on others because at the core of their thoughts they believe that God is hard on them. But Jesus made it clear that the Father is much, much, much better than any earthly father. God is good and that must be at the center of our thinking. When He deals with us, He does so in love, with great care and a pure desire to help, encourage and keep His own and others from harm. He knows what is best for us and will protect us because we are His.
V. His Invitation
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Because of relationships that have caused hurt and pain many will turn the pictures of those associations toward God and others. Hurt and pain can open the door to bitterness, confusion and disillusionment or it can press us into His arms. It is how we deal with the difficulties that come our way that determines whether we will soar heavenward or stay earthbound in our hearts. Jesus comes to us with the invitation to come find refuge and peace in Him. He will cause us to lie down in His Presence and find rest. He will break the heavy yoke. He will give us His yoke that is easy and His light burden. In all things turn to Him, lean on Him with full assurance and trust knowing that He is good.

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