Breaking Out of the Box

John Belt
John Belt

Who likes being pigeon-holed and stereotyped? Thank the Lord you were not born in a box! Some people spend their entire lives living inside of a box that someone else created for them. God intended for you to live completely free outside of a boxed up life. He is a God Who has absolutely no limitations concerning your liberty in Christ through the Spirit. You have a license for righteous living with a fullness of creativity in the Lord.

As you might know, God has put ?in the Church? apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the building up of the Body of Christ. (Eph. 4:11) Are you a prophet? Are you and evangelist? Can you be both or only one? You might have a predominant gift or call to one of these. But the truth is you can evangelize, prophesy, build, teach and have some ability to pastor. That means you can function in all of these gifts to some degree.

The reason I say this is so that you don?t get hung up on labels. Labels and titles are not what’s important. What is important is that you have the substance of the Spirit in your life for this is where your true identity comes from. You don’t find your value in having a title, in what you own or in what you do. You identity is found in WHO YOU ARE in Christ. Because of this function in all the gifts and abilities that are resident in the Holy Spirit. He has scattered gifts abroad. That is plural. You can function in words of knowledge, words of wisdom, the gift of tongues and all the other gifts of the Spirit. Why? Because if you have the Holy Spirit in your life all these gifts are because of Him.

Learn how to commune with the Holy Spirit. Invite Him to release these functions and giftings in your life and put them into practice. Not many suddenly come to be in the office of a prophet or suddenly are in the office of an apostle. There is something that is totally undervalued these days that is called ?character-building?. God has to see a lifestyle of faithfulness developed in His people before they are promoted into such places of responsibility.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 10:8

Enjoy the ride, love Jesus and continue to be filled with His Spirit daily. Find opportunities to release His Presence and power to others. Prophesy, pray, heal, teach, cast out demons, evangelize and do all the stuff that God has given you the ability to do. Love the Word of God and more importantly put it into practice.

Know what the works of the flesh are verses the fruit of the Spirit. Learn, grow, understand, increase in wisdom and stature in the knowledge of Christ! Watch God open up new doors of His favor for you as you grow in faithfulness and your identity in Him.

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