Forward Motion...Part 1

"Big God, small problems, See God for who He is, and you will see your problems for what they are." Greg Laurie

To begin, let me say this. I originally thought of writing this in my own manner. I had this whole thing planned out in my own mind. I read Hebrews 1 last Thursday night. The whole chapter talks about how great and how amazing Jesus Christ is. How God puts Christ's name above all names. Before setting out to write the blog, I said to God: " I am no pastor, no theologian, nothing special. Just a guy who observes and responds to the best of his ability (and I suck let me say that). I will not write this blog without Your guidance." Needless to say, three days later, I had a devo with a subtitle, God in a box. Confirmation in the face. So here goes God.

Ever noticed something about God. God is an almighty being. An omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who loves His creation and has paid an ultimate price for our sake, yet He is limited. Limited? Now before you grab your stones, hear me out. Sometimes we as Christians, myself soooooo included, put Him in a box. What do I mean, well we have read a thousand times over that He is great, Christ died on the cross, He rose again on the third day, salvation, grace, mercy, you know all these things. Yet we lose sight of this. We in essence are a box. We limit God in our humanity, rather than unlimit Him in our humility.

We so quickly forget His promises to us. John 14:12-14 says, "12Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." Read this again, and take note of something in specific. Yes we can do great works in His name, but look at the word in verse 12, GREATER. Jesus is flat out saying to us, not only will you do the works I do, but even greater ones. Really us? Humans? Greater works than Christ? You're kidding me right? And it is this thinking that gets us in trouble. This type of thinking not only hinders our spiritual growth, but additionally, gives victory to Satan.

We, in our own minds, limit our spiritual growth, and the more we give into ourselves and our flesh, rather than submit fully to Christ, the more idle we become, the less efficient we become. We lose our saltiness and our light goes dim.

The more we remove our limits from the picture, the more beautiful our picture will become. Like an artist, God needs as much canvas space as possible, and the more of we limit His canvas, the less canvas He has to work with. He'll still paint an amazing picture, but it won't be what it could have been had we have just submitted to Him the whole canvas, in faith, and kept nothing for us to doodle on with doubt.

Why limit God? Seriously? What can mortal man do to me? Why do we so easily forget this is the God of Abraham, the God who delivered Israel from Egypt with the division of the Red Sea, the God who shot fire from heaven and devoured an alter drenched in water, the God who walked on water, the God who protected three men in a fiery fernace, the God who broke Peter free from jail, the God who broke death.

Isaiah 43: 1a-2 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you."

God will not be mocked. You do not go unnoticed, you are not and will not ever be abandoned. All who call out to Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. What is causing you to box up God? Satan will use anything and everything to keep you from moving forward. Is it the past? Self-condemnation? What doubt could you possibly have? What can mortal man do to you? If God is for you, then who on earth, heaven, and hell could stand against you?

Seriously, the God of the Universe, will not be mocked, He didn't just blow you out of His nose, call you to where you are and then just watch you swim. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. You were called, you were chosen to be someone for Him. You are a soldier of God, a man/woman of the Highest, to be a steward, a servant, and a friend to all in need. He will give you exactly what you need through His word and His spirit. All of us are gifted in some way. The more you give into what the devil tells you, the more you lose your ability to use that gift you have been given.

Don't take this as a feel good post about being super blessed, because it isn't. This is a call to the person who has for years been in spiritual submission to the wrong thing. 2 Peter 2:19 (NLT) They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. What is controlling you? The God of the universe who governs all things and gives to those who ask? Or are you a box, influenced by Satan, to limit your God given power...Your God given Freedom...

There will be a part 2 to this post. Because to me, boxing up God has multiple meanings...