Caged

 Christians are often like caged animals at the zoo instead of free animals in the wild. Look deep into a caged animals eyes. They look sad, bored, and without heart. Instead of hunting for their food like they were born to do, it is offered to them. They have no purpose. Other than for endless streams of people to stand gawking at them. They do not even have the dignity of privacy. 

Think about Christians. We live lives rhythmic in nature. We eat, work, sleep and sometimes play a little. We attend worship services but may not always worship. We are often entertained in worship or lectured to sleep. Truth is many in the church are bored. Bored with small groups where people are not authentic and transparent. Bored with predictable worship services carefully crafted down to the last minute. Bored with self help sermons and their bullet point formulas to live better lives. Bored with constantly filling their brains with more information about God but rarely experiencing God for themselves. 

What if God uncaged us through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What if we learned to live out the truth of Gal 5:16 and walk by the Spirit. To pursue God and be inspired and empowered by His Spirit to follow on amazing adventures. To be uncaged to bold assignments given by God. To live dangerously. To risk reputation for outlandish Kingdom ventures that most think are foolhardy. To walk by faith and not by sight. To live for something bigger than ourselves. In short, to live uncaged. 

God created us for more than sitting caged in a pew, domesticated and civilized in our worship and service. He created us to be players in advancing the kingdom of God. Read [Eph 2:10] To go to the dark places. To obey His promptings to do unpredictable things bringing about unpredictable results. 

I read a prayer this morning that is biting into my soul. A prayer for the uncaged. Here it is. "Lord, whatever the price, whatever the cost, I am available to You. Please use me at anytime, in anyway, in any place, to do your will. In Jesus' name. Amen." If that prayer is prayed sincerely, caged doors will open and people will be freed to follow the Spirit of God on the grandest adventures they could imagine. I pray it happens for all of us. May we live out the truth of [Eph 3:20].