Lately, I have been asking Jesus to let us loose so that we can run with Him; asking Him to release us from financial and time restrictions so that we can go and do whatever and wherever He wants to lead us. As I requested this again yesterday, He gently replied, “Run in your restrictions”. Well, that shut my begging up! I just sat there speechless as I let those words and implications sink in.
Holy Spirit brought this thought to mind as an illustration to help me out. If you have a small house or apartment - like we have here in Hong Kong - you can take maybe 20 steps from one end of the apartment to the other. If you have a medium apartment, you can maybe take 100 steps. In a huge house, maybe 1000 steps. Whatever the size, you are still constrained by the four walls, yet you still have some movement within those walls. Now, within those constraints, you can choose to sit on the couch and do very little movement, or you can walk the 100 steps 10 times if you feel like some movement.
What am I trying to get at? Simply this. You can sit still in life due to your constraints and moan, wish and complain OR you can move within your restraints with faith and anticipation. I heard of a man who was doing hotel quarantine that walked 10,000 steps in his small room each day because he just had to move even though he was constrained in a 10 steps room! He decided that he would not be dictated to by his environment, but will change his environment to suit his desire and will.
You and I might have restrictions in the physical realm, like money, time and travel (thanks, Covid 19), but when it comes to the spiritual realm, we are only limited by our faith and imagination.
Jesus, as the Son of God, was restricted by His human body in time and space. We know that He did this so that He could identify with our humanity. Within that ‘human’ constraint, He did amazing things - raised the dead, walked on water and loved the most unlovable. We also have a glimpse of how He influenced the spiritual realm, like chasing out demons and changing entire towns. Jesus did like 1 million steps in a 10 steps environment. To think what WE can do, because He said we would do even more than He!
Let’s move with the Holy Spirit within the boundaries we have now until He gives us a bigger ‘apartment/space’.
Prepare to walk 10,000 steps in a 10 step place so that when He gives you a 10,000 steps room you can easily handle it because you have the spiritual muscles and endurance to progress to 100,000 steps etc. Move in your restraints to grow in your freedom and His purpose! DON’T BE HELD BACK, BUT RUN!
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 20
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Mark 9:23