A LIFE WITHOUT WALLS

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." Jeremiah 1:5

It is startling to think that before we came into being, God had a plan for our life.

That should speak volumes about God’s love for us.

As an artist, I like for whatever I create to have a purpose and a future. I don’t want to create something that is going to be forgotten in a few years or stuck in a closet or an attic…

I believe God is the same way. He doesn’t create things that don’t have a purpose…. I may not understand that purpose of a mosquito but there is a reason for all the things he created.

Have you ever tried to put God in a box? How about your perceived notion of God in a box?

I find that when I try to put God in a box and tell God what He can and cannot do in my life I only put myself in a box.

A place with walls feels safe but it doesn't allow us to see or experience any further then those walls.

God never puts walls or limits upon us but we do. We are the ones that hinder God’s plans in our life when we decide what He is capable and not capable of doing in our life. We are the ones that hinder his love from touching our life.

God isn’t going to force himself on anyone. That is why he gave us a choice. He loves us too much to put walls up around us for he has a plan for our life that is without walls and limits.

That life, however, comes with trusting God not us or others.

Sometimes we put other people’s opinions over what God thinks we are capable of doing.

We believe in circumstances over what may come out of those circumstances.

We are the ones who dash our hopes.

Would a tree that is pruned ever grow back its fullness, if it were capable of holding its misery?

When we trust in God, nothing is impossible. When we trust God, it doesn’t just affect our lives but the lives of others as well.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

What kinds of negative things do we hang on to? What do we treasure that hinders God’s plans in our life?

Do we treasure the potholes of life over the healing rain that fills them? What would a child do in rain puddle? They would jump into it with pure joy and delight spreading it all over everyone that is near them. God isn’t about potholes but filling those potholes with his love.

I would have never dreamed up the things God has done in my life and is still doing if my life.

Remember God isn't about putting up walls in our lives but helping you tear those walls down.

"Born-again" Christian?

Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.”

“Born again” Christian, I had always thought that was an “odd” term before I became one.

Ever try to play games such as Chinese checkers, chess, Cribbage or Mancala without knowing the directions? Ever try to build one of those Lego models without instructions? How about painting a picture of a landscape without knowing the basic principles of perspective, dimension, scale, and color?

Those things would be difficult to do and even harder to appreciate without some kind of knowledge or direction.

That was what it was like before I was a "born again" Christian. I couldn’t appreciate, behave, act or live out a Christian life because had not received the Holy Spirit from heaven. Before I was “born again” I saw Christianity as a religion even though I considered myself Christian. And I only regarded myself Christian because I attended “Christian” churches as a child and believed in God not Buddha, Muhammad or some other god.

I knew some bible stories but the stories didn’t make this collective cohesion that made total sense. I would also try to read the bible but it either didn’t bring much meaning or didn’t stick. Church services… I might as well been wearing earplugs.
It was like I had this great treasure map but the “X” to mark the spot to change my life was invisible.

You could have told me that Jesus is the “X” on the treasure map but it would had made no difference. I would have been blind and deaf to the fact that Jesus was the “X”.

Christianity didn’t start make sense until I was “born again”.

Just as Ananias placed his hands on Saul and he received the Holy Spirit I too had received the Holy Spirit when a woman, a total stranger, prayed and placed her hand on me when I went to church as a courtesy to some family moving out of state . (ACTS 9:17) A new spirit had come within me. Figuratively the Holy Spirit had turned on the lights.

The Holy Spirit let me see the things of God and the importance of the role of Jesus Christ in our lives. He let the words and messages from the bible and our pastor make sense as I soaked them up like a sponge. A tender heart that was receptive to what God was showing and teaching me had replaced the stony heart. In short not only was my blindness and deafness healed but I had been given new life.

The love of the Father God and Jesus had birthed me a new spiritual life by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 35:5 “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf.”

Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead, so they will obey my laws and regulation. They will truly be my people, and I will be their God.”

OUT OF THE HOLE

I have been speaking to others who have found themselves in a hole in which they have dug themselves. They have tried to claw their way out of this hole and no one has been able or willing to help them out of this hole they have found themselves in.

Their calls for help have been ignored.

They have been enabled by others and professionals such a doctors who write up subscriptions to mask the effects of the root of the problem.

They have been encouraged to stay in their hole in hopes it will all pass in time.

They have been spoon fed this idea that it is everyone elses fault that they are in this hole.

They have been beat back into the hole with remarks that they will never change and/or deserve to be stuck in that hole.

They have been threatened and lied to and fear a life outside the hole.

They have gotten so used to “misery” and “burden” that they have decided to make them their constant living companions.

I can’t get them out of this hole. You can't get them out of this hole. I could throw them a rope and if I some how convinced them to climb the rope, they would probably end up coming to the top of the hole- taking a quick look around and jump back into that hole again.

I have seen one of those holes first hand and you would be surprised what a person can get used to after a while.

Nope… the only way a person will want to come out of that hole is when the hole starts to collapse and it’s life or death threatening and they still won’t be able to get out of that hole themselves.

God’s is the only one who can retrieve a person from a hole they have dug themselves

No way out and no one to turn to… I gave my life to God and he seeing something of value in me, that I could not, pulled me out of that hole and gave me a new life, a new perspective which is maturing and growing everyday under his watchful and loving eye.

If you are in that hole….

Do yourself a favor and give your life to God. He created you. He knows what you need and he will give you a life that you did not even know was possible as long as you trust Him.

From there he will give you to Jesus who will give you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you greater insight of why Jesus is so important in your life and through this growing understanding you will gain greater maturing insight about life, hope, love, joy, and peace.

You will overcome many of the things in your old life and have a "continual" testimony to share with others for many years to come.

You will still have trials and struggles but through the new insight that God gives you, you will overcome all of them with "his" help.

If you aren't in a hole but know some who is, don't give up on them but continue to pray for them and ask God to give you the words and actions for when you do speak to them.