When You Long for Freedom "Outside the Box"
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” - Isaiah 61:1
A professor during my college years told the story of a zoo leopard confined to a tight cage.
The leopard, frustrated by its restrained quarters, spent all day pacing the perimeter inside the bars.
After a while, zookeepers renovated the park to create a natural, savannah-like environment. When the leopard was introduced to its spacious new habitat, the crate was lifted off. Everyone expected the big cat to joyfully bound into the open.
But the leopard remained frozen in place. It restlessly walked the same dimensions as its old cage, unable to move into freedom.
The professor’s purpose in telling the story was to encourage his students to “think outside the box.” It stuck with me.
You see, we are so much like that leopard.
Our sinful state imprisons us in Satan’s stronghold...we’re unable to break out on our own. Then, one day, Jesus opens the door and calls us to come forth, like Lazarus, into His glorious light. We say “Yes!” and take one step forward.
Then, we shrink back. Our sin bondage was oppressive, but it was safe. It was known. We’re unwilling to let old habits go, afraid to grasp our Master’s hand.
When I find myself in that same old sin mindset, Jesus calls me to think outside the box. Following Him requires a radical reset. I have to let go of control, of fear, of favorite routines. It’s not safe.
Just as C. S. Lewis described Aslan in the Narnia series, Jesus isn’t safe...but He’s good. There are huge sacrifices and also huge rewards in leaving my “net-mending” behind, as Christ’s disciples did, to join Him.
What holds us back from accepting His glorious freedom? Old patterns that need to be broken? Anxiety, desires for wealth/fame, creature comforts, painful memories, mental clutter?
How can we think outside the box?
It means returning to the point when Christ came to release us. We take our eyes off ourselves and fix them firmly on Him—who He is, what He has done for us, and what He calls us to do. We may have to experience painful “housecleaning,” but that’s part of His plan for our good. It’s not easy to change our spots, to step out in faith. We have to stop relying on our own strength and put all of our plans in His hands.
It means thinking beyond circumstances. Even if we can’t change them, we can always adjust our attitude about them, from resentment to gratitude.
It means exploring new worlds of hope and possibilities. We’ll stretch our legs and take some falls. It may mean serious implications like pain, abandonment, poverty, persecution...even death.
But He will uphold us through all of it. He is our only key to true liberty and peace.
Friends, when you and I are tempted to linger inside our cagey comfort zones, let’s embrace our genuine freedom in Christ—we’re no longer boxed in by the past. We can take off running with Him into His unrestrained joy!
Questions for Reflection:
1. Have you ever felt like the leopard mentioned earlier in this devotional? What were some of the emotions you felt?
2.What holds us back from experiencing God’s glorious freedom?
3. What are some things you can do to break free from the boxes that are holding you in? What are some first steps you can take to step into this genuine freedom in Christ?
