Outside the box

Every one of us has a box we live in that keeps us comfortable and safe. Most of us don't want to admit that, but we all have one. It is our paradigm of understanding the world, our values, our perspectives, our dreams and prayers. Every body has a box - but few know how to think outside of it.

For some, the box is a denomination. For others it is there education or their job. Still others learned a set of values that they live within. Those boxes serve to define us. But they also serve to limit us.

There is something about following God that calls us outside that box. To be in a relationship with God is to be outside the box, because He is outside of any box. He is always undefinable, eternally mysterious, and always new. He doesn't ever seem to do the same thing in the same way - much unlike us humans.

So why do we settle for boxes? Because they are more comfortable. Our comfort seems to have become our own little version of God. We want the easy answers in life. We want someone to just tell us how to do it - tell us what is expected - give us easy answers with obvious and clearly defined limits. We like boxes - they just make life easier to deal with. But then we turn around and wonder why our walk with God is an exercise in staying awake, rather than a wild adventure of following. Boxes and adventure don't go real well together.

So which side of the box do you want to be on - the inside or the outside? It matters more than you know. Remember in your deciding process that Jesus was most criticised by those who couldn't stand the fact that he didn't fit into their boxes.