Live.Awake

Are you in a box?

// September 4th, 2007 // Christian Living

I spent Labor Day weekend working with my family on my parent’s home. We all were together (less one brother) and were looking at pictures and reading old school papers. In doing this, I realized how much we have changed over the years and how surprising it was. Sounds kinda silly, but you expect people to stay the same. This can be endearing at times, but most of the times can be harmful. We try too hard to construct boxes over the years….

We as humans tend to try to make things easy for ourselves by defining the things around us (including people). We come up with clean concise boxes that allow us to feel safe in an effort to protect ourselves. It makes people feel safe when they can tell what is to be expected and not feel that something will change on them unexpectedly. The problem is that we hurt the people that we are closest to by not allowing them to be the people that they truly are.

It hurts the most when you are put in a box by family and friends. When people have known you for a long time, they tend to believe that you will always be the person that they have always known. People who have known each other the longest don’t often give each other grace to mature as people and Christians. But aren’t we supposed to grow and mature into better people? As a friend and family member we should be encouraging each other into pushing forward in the life God wants us to lead. We are called to be the cheerleaders and instead so many times we sit with our arms folded waiting for people to prove that the boxes we have placed are secure.

As a good friend and family member, let’s give each other the room to grow and to be the people we are created to be. Let’s give each other the room to mess up in an effort to learn who we are, and let’s be the cheerleaders encouraging one another on to the lives we are called to live.

For all of us who have been put in boxes (and I am sure we all have), we have to be willing to be misunderstood and to not let the boxes that people have put us in hold us back. We are responsible for the lives we lead and that means pushing forward despite the boxes.

So, have fun living the life you are supposed to lead and breaking the boxes! Are there any confining boxes that have been placed around you that you are wanting to break out of??

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