Don't Get Stuck in a Box!

“He walled me in so I couldn’t escape; he made my chains heavy.”  Lamentations 3:27 (CEB)

I was having a conversation with my cousin, Joyce, a few days ago and as so often they do, our conversation turned onto a spiritual vein.  She remarked about a church she’d recently visited, while although a Baptist church as is her home church, she had found herself lifting her arms in worship during one of the songs.  My comment was, “boy, you stepped out of your box!”  As we continued to talk about that event a few minutes longer we both decided it would become a devotion real soon.

How do we manage to get stuck in the box in the first place?  We can become boxed in by Satan.  Satan wants to trap or ensnare us so that we are ineffective to the Kingdom. There are times others can put us in a box, and sometimes, even we, ourselves place us in the box.  Christians can even become trapped by the church building itself.  I had not considered that until I read this statement by Pastor Jamie Wright:  “We are trapped inside the four walls of the church house. It is time for us to get out of the box. As long as you are in the box you cannot walk with God properly, witness effectively nor worship freely.”

In this instance, this box we were discussing was primarily about traditions and how we can find ourselves boxed in by certain ways of doing things.  Have you ever asked a young, newly married bride why she does something a particular way?  Most of the time the answer is “because my Mother did it that way.” 

Looking back to Pastor Wright’s lesson, I found his thoughts went right along with mine and Joyce’s conversation.  He says:

Tradition limits our worship. Tradition says you have to worship here, God says you can worship anywhere. Tradition says we must sing these songs, God’s word says sing a new song unto the Lord. Tradition says you must be quiet inside that box, God’s word says break out of the box and make a joyful noise. Tradition says you must sit still inside of the box, God’s word says break out of that box and dance before me like David danced before the ark of my presence. Religion says you must have form and fashion, God’s word says FIRE! Religion pushes programs, if you will get out of the box God will give you POWER! The box of religion will ruin you, break out of that box because it is beginning to RAIN. Inside the box you will never feel His Wind blow or see His river flow.

 Satan wants this for our lives, for us to be boxed in, cornered, trapped, and pressed in.  Step out of the box, be an effective member of the Kingdom!