I just listening to the song God’s Not Dead by the Newsboys and was struck by this line:

“He’s livin’ on the inside, roarin’ like a lion”

I began to picture it quite literally – the Holy Spirit, on fire and alive and ready with a purpose, roaring within, ready to get out and live and shout for God, only caged within my own fears, insecurities, and indecision.

Can you picture it? Can you picture a lion, pacing behind the bars, roaring, shaking his mane, seeing his goal, ready to run and move and live, only held back, caged?

How often do we cage God? How often do we lock the door on the Holy Spirit and keep Him, keep ourselves, from really living and serving and ministering? How often do we let fear, busyness, doubt, insecurity, and, oh I don’t know, fear paralyze us from walking, running, jumping with the Lord to fulfill His purpose for us?

Romans tells us in 8:15 that “you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship,” and again in 2 Timothy 1:7 that “God did not give us a spirit of timidy, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

God made us with free will, with choice. It is our choice whether we open the door or keep it closed and locked. Will we let the Spirit run free? Will we let the lion run free? (Okay, totally just thought of the song of the same title by 4Him.)

I don’t know about you, but I know when I’ve caged the Spirit. I can feel His restlessness; His desire to break free and live – to do what He was made to do, what He made me to do. I also know there are a host of fears that bind that lock. Fears of failure AND success. And I know I need to remind myself more often, like multiple times a day, that I have a Spirit of power within and He will help me through every step of His plan. It’s long past time to break these chains, and open this cage. Are you ready? Will you let the lion run free? He’s roarin’!

#Discover #LoveOnPurpose #LiveYourFaithBoldly

featured image photo credit pixabay.com/users/Alexas_Fotos