At some time in everyone's life we have felt boxed in. Maybe on a job. Maybe in a bad relationship. Maybe in ministry. Or maybe you have come to a place in life where you felt that you were simply stuck with your present circumstances of everyday life. You know what I mean. Get up every morning and get ready for work. Get the kids ready for school. Eat breakfast. Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Go to bed. Then get up the next morning and do it all over again. You're in a rut that you can't climb out of. Boxed in so that you come to the point where you feel like you're going to explode if something doesn't change in your life. We've all been there at one time or another.
It's easy to look at our circumstances, at our ruts and boxes and blame them on other people. We may feel boxed in on our job and 'it's the bosses fault because he won't promote me.' We may feel boxed in with our current relationship because 'I wouldn't be able to find anyone who would love me like he does', even though abuse has become a ritual. We may feel boxed in with our ministry because 'That preacher won't let me do what God called me to do', even though you haven't taken any steps to fulfill your calling in your everyday life. Just because it isn't on a stage does not mean that it's outside your calling.
We place blame on others, when in actuality we are solely responsible for climbing out of our the boxes. I know what you are probably thinking - It ain't that easy. You're right. It's not easy. That's why getting out of our boxes and ruts means getting out of our comfort zone.. It means taking steps that seem difficult and stressful. It means being uncomfortable. But the effort is so, so, worth it. Picture this in your mind : A person is sitting in a 3 foot x 3 foot cage. They continue to sit in that cage, as cramped as it is, even though there is no lock on the door. They are free to open the door at any time. But they choose to stay in the cage. Eventually, his body will begin to conform to the limitations of the cage. At first, the discomfort will be extremely difficult to manage but as time goes on they will grow accustomed to it. So, there will come a point where they are satisfied with their condition.
A conscious decision must be made to climb out of the cage. On that day, they come out, still disfigured because they remained in the cage for too long. The pain is excruciating. But with time they begin to reconfigure themselves to the correct stature. Then, suddenly, they are standing tall and are able to do what they had been missing out on. Just like that, we keep ourselves boxed in because we are afraid of the ramifications of our expanding beyond our comfort zones. We can't blame someone else because our boxes are about us. We have to choose to get up and out. We cannot allow ourselves to become stagnant because we are afraid of what could happen on the outside. Growth does not come without being stretched beyond comfort.
If you want to climb out of your box, or your rut, you must see yourself outside the box. I've heard folks say, when you're trying to make a decision, to make 2 lists - one of the advantages and one of disadvantages to your choices. Well, I agree that you should make those lists. But, if you plan on ever growing, throw the list of disadvantages in the trash and focus on the advantages. If you don't, your focus will gravitate toward the disadvantages and before you know it, you won't be able to see yourself doing any better. And if you can't see it, it won't happen. Choose to grow. Choose to climb out, and stay out of the box. It is totally up to you. So what if you're afraid. Choose to conquer your fear. Growing up I was terrified of the thought of flying in an airplane. But when I was in my 30's, my brother got married in Chicago and asked me to be in the wedding. I didn't have time to drive so I had to make the choice to fly. I was scared to death. But I did it. There were four legs to the flight, there and back. Now, I love to fly. I can't wait to do it again, and I will. You may have to climb out of your box while afraid, but do it anyway. When you make the decision to get out of your comfort zone and grow, you will be able to see more clearly into your future.
Get up, get out, get moving, and grow!
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