Change is hard for most of us. Especially when it comes to how we see others and how we envision our own lives. Let us look at four areas that tend to keep us boxed in.

The Box of Past Things:  Matthew 13:55

This scripture lets us see how the people could not get past the fact that Jesus was the son of a carpenter, and that his mother, as well as his siblings, was one of them. It was hard for the people to accept the ministry of Jesus. They wanted to keep him in the box of the natural man by not accepting the spiritual man he had become. His teachings and miracles were too much for them to reconcile. Therefore, they kept him in a box.

The box of past things can be of your own doing or the doing of others. How is your past affecting your present and your future? The past is over, and the right now is the important thing. You are what God says you are and not what your past dictates. Break out of the box of past things and move on to the new life that God has given to you. Others will put you in a box, but the box we put ourselves in can be the hardest to break out of.

The Box of Present Things:  Matthew 13:22

Just when you think you have broken out of the box of past things, you find yourself hemmed in by your present life. The scripture tells us how the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches are thorns in our life. When we hear the Word of God, the thorns choke the word and keep us from growing and being fruitful Christians.

Our daily necessities have a way of boxing us in. We need to eat; we need a home, etc., which leads us to providing for these activities. We box ourselves in when we forget that God shall supply all our need. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…”  By putting God first in your life, you can break out of the box of present things.

The Box of Real Things:  Matthew 8:23-27

Storms, sickness, trials, and various situations of life make up the real things. The disciples were with Jesus in a boat when a storm broke out. The disciples were afraid and went to Jesus, who was asleep, asking him to do something. He rebuked his disciples for being afraid and he rebuked the winds and the sea. “…and there was a great calm.” The key for us is to know what to do when real things bombard our lives and box us in.

Natural storms and the storms of life can be overwhelming, but Jesus is able to calm them. Remember, in order to break out of the box of real things, ask Jesus for help. He is willing and able to deliver.

The Box of Fearful Things:  Matthew 14:25-26

The disciples saw Jesus, walking on the water, and they cried out for fear. The unknown or better yet, the unexplained can bring about feelings of fear. Fear is very controlling. It keeps you from enjoying life. The scriptures tell us that fear has torment, 1 John 4:18.  Torment is agony, distress, and harassment. Fear distorts your view. When the disciples saw Jesus, walking on the water, fear distorted their view, and they did not know who He was. After Jesus calmed them down, Peter was able to ask Jesus for something impossible. Peter was able to walk on the water with Jesus.

Sometimes when we get out of the box of fearful things, we put ourselves right back in it. Peter began to look at his surroundings, the raging storm, and he was again afraid. Step out in faith, do what God is calling you to, and experience the freedom that is outside of the box of fearful things.

Get out of that box!