Thought for Wednesday, January 30th

January 30, 2013

Outside The Box

Do you feel comfortable outside the box of a socially accepted norm?

     But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John 2:27-29

“Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”

-       Francis Chan

Many people live their lives outside the box of socially accepted norms; though the box of what is acceptable seems to get bigger with each passing year.

However, for my purpose I am less interested in the social behaviors that are confined within the proverbial box: and more interested in the spiritual values that are outside of the box of what the world would call normal.

The whole idea of being outside the box implies that we are somehow beyond the normal, the average or that which is considered acceptable without rocking the boat or creating waves.

As Christians, living for the Lord, and seeking to serve Him with all our heart, mind soul, body strength and purpose: I contend that we need to get outside of the box of what makes people comfortable and live like we are radically saved and incapable of containing our joy, hope enthusiasm and desire to change the world as dramatically as God has changed us.

One of the worst things that can happen in a church is to adopt a ‘We’ve never done it that way before’ mentality thus concluding it is either wrong, or won’t work.

God is not limited by our personal experiences or our past history.  When you look at the lives of many of the Old Testament heroes of the faith; you will see that God took them outside the box of their experience and comfort to new challenges, greater opportunities and a place where they really had to rely on and depend on Him.

Personally I don’t believe it is possible to put God in a box and I don’t think He wants His children living inside a box either.

So are you ready to experience a day outside of the box?

Today’s Prayer

Father, there are some who know me who I sometimes think wish you would put me in a box somewhere: but when it comes to serving you and living for you keep me outside the box, on the edge and living radically and audaciously for you.