Claustrophobia

My siblings and I have played some intense games of hide-and-seek over the years. All of us can get pretty competitive, as well as stubborn, which causes occassional ruthlessnes to arise in our desire to win. Once, in an indoor game, I hid in an empty wooden trunk that was used to hold towels and blankets. It was small, but big enough for me to fit inside. I thought it would be the perfect hiding place that my sister would never find.

I was wrong. My sister found me. Instead of opening the trunk and saying, "Tag! You're the one who has to count now," she sat on the lid. She probably sat there for 30 seconds max, but those 30 seconds felt like an eternity. Never again will I hide in a trunk during hide-and-seek. I learned that day just how awful it feels to be trapped and to know you are unable to escape. Claustrophobia is not a pleasant experience.

I wonder how many people come into church and feel claustrophobic. Sometimes I do. Not because I don't love good preaching and good worship services or prayer meetings. In fact, I need them, as long as the atmosphere is free. It's just that I have a hard time accepting a Christianity that stays within four walls, with closed doors and shut windows making me feel congested. Even if there are amazing things breaking out inside those walls, those amazing things are the movements of the Holy Spirit and come from Him. I can't imagine Him wanting those explosions to remain inside, just like I couldn't imagine an artist or a musician wanting to never be admired for their work. In fact, I wonder if the Holy Spirit gets claustrophobic, wondering when we will stop trying to impress one another with how much we know about Him, even though a lot of the time everyone pretty much knows the same stuff but just shares it differently. Then it just turns into a big competition, and the truth is no longer about advancing the Kingdom, but instead about building your own great name. And by that point, is the once pure truth still pure truth? Or does it become twisted through pride?

I wonder if His heart is longing to infuse the streets with the truth that is being competed over. Actually, I don't really wonder that. I'm sure that is the longing of His heart. Because movers and shakers never want to stay where things are already getting shaken. They want to go to the places where there needs to be some new movement and shaking. And the Holy Spirit likes to shake things up:-)

Just some thoughts that are challenging me personally to not get stuck in a box.