A few months ago, my husband and I were moved from a small town to a big city. As we made this extreme life change together, there was only one thing we could be sure of. We knew undoubtably that God had a plan for us.
Until just recently, the journey had been truly rough on me. I barely left the apartment, and I didn't do anything or go anywhere by myself. It was like I was in an inescapable prison cell. Well, the other day I went for a walk. I took a deep breath, got up twenty seconds of insane courage, and walked about four blocks to the library. After that moment, I realized something.
My biggest enemy, my biggest threat to my relationship with Christ, and my biggest obstacle when it came to God's plan for my life, was and is myself. I still believe sometimes that I'm too damaged or broken to ever glorify God's kingdom. But, that's exactly who God uses to build his kingdom. God doesn't seek to find the most righteous people to glorify him. No; he finds the people broken and on their knees. He finds the people that have held themselves captive for years -- people who make themselves their own worst enemy, almost impossible to defeat. Because a prisoner can't escape prison unless he wants to. In order for God to do mighty works through you, you must have a desire to allow him to do might works in you.
Suddenly, I found myself confined in a prison cell that God had already unlocked. It happens to people all the time. The problem isn't that we're locked inside cells; the problem is our willingness to unbind our own chains. The problem is not our ability to break free, but our ability to allow God to set us free. Our minds and our thoughts and our desires of this world get the best of us, and causes us to lock ourselves in and throw away the key. But we need to step up. We cannot allow the devil to win.
YOU ARE NOT A PRISONER.
By the grace and the mercy of Jesus Christ, you have been set free. We have all been set free.
I was too afraid to step out of my cell and embrace the big city life, which deterred what God had planned for me here. I was terrified of changing everything I had ever known. It wasn't until I stepped out of my prison cell and out of my comfort zone that I discovered I was the one thing holding myself back. I was the obstacle that was causing destruction and I was blocking God from entering, hindering our relationship. Once I realized that I was my own chains, God started to show me how intentional His love was (and still is) for me. And He will show you too.
So, here's the question. What's keeping you from stepping out of your cell?
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
