OUTSIDE THE BOX

When thinking of the "box", I am reminded of an issue God had dealt with me on a few months back, but it is a little different take on the subject here of the "box".
One Sunday morning before church I was home in my living room praying for the service and God clearly spoke to me saying, "Take ME out of the box!" I thought, "Lord, I am NOT a religious person, I have a very real relationship with you, I don't go through all of the formalities and rituals of traditional religion." But what He showed me was that even if we call ourselves "contemporary" Christians, or we attend "spirit-filled" churches, if we are not VERY careful, we build our box around God according to how we think our services should go. We limit the Holy Spirit by our programs. No, our bulletins do not contain a schedule of how our services with be conducted, that would be too traditional. . .but I bet most of us could write that bulletin and step-by-step describe how the service is going to go. We tend to become comfortable in our way of doing things, and in thus doing, we "box" God in and limit Him to only doing what we will allow and what we are comfortable with. That is all the same from a traditional, ritualistic ceremony in a stained glass sanctuary, to the contemporary, biker, "all are welcome" type church, and even to the "spirit-filled", pentecostal type church. I thought of myself as the furthest thing from traditional, until God spoke to me that morning and told me that we are continually building traditions and conducting services the way we think they should go, whether our traditions are considered contemporary or not. We are putting God in a box! If we could only tear the lid off of that box and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in every area, every service, every prayer time, every time of worship. . .WOW! What amazing things we will begin to see from the hand of God!
I can remember a time about 10 years ago when I would get butterflies in my stomach on my way to church in anticipation of what God was going to do! I went to a church where the Holy Spirit had full reign, and there wasn't a Sunday that passed that I did not leave changed and touched by the teaching and ministry that was brought forth by the Spirit of God! But even that church got complacent, and put God in a box without even knowing it!
I have finally found a place where I am now that I am once again getting excited in anticiaption, wondering what God is going to do! I enter my prayer time and time in the Word with the same attitude of heart. HE is in control!
I have found it takes a concerted effort to keep God out of the box! It is our human nature to find some kind of comfort area for everything in our lives. But if we focus and determine to follow God and take the limitations off of Him, what amazingly glorious things we will see and experience!! Remember, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He will not push where He is not welcome to do so.
It just dawned on me that if we can keep ourselves from putting God in that box, the rest of our lives will follow suit and we will naturally, as followers of Him, not be limited to the "box" either!