Uncaged
Dear Friends,
In a book I read by Scott Webb, he tells of a story about a bear who was apart of a traveling circus. The bear had adapted to his environment and he never growled, or attempted to bite anyone. Daily the only thing he would do was walk back and forth inside of his cage. The bear basically lived in this world until someone with compassion saw him, and arranged for him to be moved to a local zoo. At the local zoo, he had plenty of room to roam around in an area that provided him with waterfalls to bathe, and green grass to relax in. Once the cage was open they placed the bear into the new area, the bear just continued to walk back and forth in the cage. They had to push him out the cage, and even once out the cage he continue to walk back and forth as if he was still a caged animal.
Much like the caged bear, Jesus, saw us in our sins and was moved with compassion to save us. Then, why is it that we still are caged in the bondage of bad habits, and addictions that are destructive? Are we like the bear and adapted to our environment? Do we not see ourselves as God sees us? Then today, get anchored in the new freedom that Christ love has afforded us, and rest in all the benefits that comes with His freedom.
John 10:10 ESV “….I come that you might have life and have life more abundantly.” However, it can be very difficult to experience the freedom of the abundant life Jesus promises, if we have condition ourselves to only what we see on the outside. I heard or possibly read, “that vision on the inside is more important than vision on the outside.”
Why?? Because what we currently see is subject to change. God’s word confirms that the things we see are transient. II Corinthians 4:18 ESV, “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
The “1828 American Dictionary” defines transient as:
Passing; not stationary; hence, of short duration; not permanent; not lasting or durable.
Let’s not get content in a cage that Christ has freed us from. Refuse to allow the transient things that we see, to make us forgot about the unseen eternal things Jesus has promised us.
Galatians 5:1 NIV, “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Uncaged In Christ,
Chanda Rose
