Release Jesus From The Little White Box

Have you ever helped someone and found that later on that person completely forgot what you did for them despite the magnitude of the deed? How did that make you feel? Did it make you feel used, betrayed or even unappreciated? Well I sometimes wonder how God feels when we behave similarly and completely forget what he has done for us. Luckily, God tells us in his words that his thoughts are nothing like ours so therefore we can always expect only the best from him including his forgiveness ( Isaiah 55:8).

Over last week I had to get a wake up call after I found myself doubting God, putting a limit on the great king. It's not like I don't know who God is, however I realize that by deciding what problems I would present to him was actually putting a limit on what he can do and indeed does not reflect the actions of someone who truly knows him(John 10:14). It was never my intention to limit God but unknowingly what I was doing reflected just that. My thoughts were just centered around what I could do and would do, it was all about me. Sadly, the problem to which I was busy scanning through solutions for was actually a long standing issue that God had faithfully dealt with up to the very moment of my amnesia. Yes, I said amnesia because it was asif I had suddenly developed amnesia and forgotten who God is and what he had brought me through.

Growing up there was a song we would sing in primary school:

If I had a little red box I would put the devil in, I would take him out and kick, kick, kick and put him right back in.
If I had a little white box, I would put my Jesus in, take him out and kiss, kiss, kiss and share him with a friend.

I am not certain what version of this song you may have heard however one thing that is common to all versions I have heard is the box. The issue I now find with this song is that we have Jesus in a box to begin with; and despite the song says we share him with a friend I have reasons to believe too many of us still kept him in the box. We need to realize we serve a great God not a genie therefore we should not only seek God for our next favour (1 Chronicles 16:11). It's high time we release God from the box and grant him freedom to work in all areas of our lives. Not to only work when we can't handle it or when we don't want to handle it but at all times to surrender to him (Proverbs 3:5-6). I am sure we don't like friends that are only present when things are not going well in their lives or when they need another loan. However, many of us are guilty of treating God in a similar manner. Only turning to him for our next favour and behaving like he did nothing tomorrow when we are sitting in the job he provided yesterday, eating the meal from his provision or driving the car he bought us (Proverbs 28:26). It's time we release Jesus from the box and lift the restrictions we have on him.

If God is able to heal our diseases, provide us with a job, shelter, food and clothing why must we not trust him with a minor worry? Why should we decide what he can do? Why should we use him to do the things no one else will do for us but exclude him at other times? Everytime we decide to solve an issue on our own best believe we have put Jesus right back in that little white box. I truly believe we will only see and receive the full blessing he has for us when we release him from that box and give him space to work  to unleash his power(Psalm 9:10).