OUTSIDE THE BOX
                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                     By W. G. Guy

          The term, “outside the box” refers to thinking or acting outside of the normal limitations, constraints, established procedures or parameters which regulate our thoughts or actions of what we can do or think.  These boundaries are generally based on what we see, hear and know.   Inside this hypothetical box is our normal comfort zone of what we are familiar with, and what we come to expect.  Anything outside of this box is unfamiliar, unexpected, and considered abnormal; this is also where greater creative ideas and things originate, and even the spiritual and super natural.

          Faith operates outside the box; and few who say they have faith rarely operate outside the box which would make their faith evident.  The spiritual operates outside of the box because it is of things unseen.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

          What we do not see, or is beyond what we know and understand, is actually of the “spirit realm”, the realm of the unseen.  This is because God, Satan and evil spirits operate outside of our little box; this is where faith has its affect.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

          Therefore, shouldn’t we, God’s redeemed children, also operate outside of the box; we do so by real faith, trusting Him and His Word.  Faith allows us to operate outside of the box of human limitations and into God’s realm of the Spirit.  We enter that realm by faith, believing Him and His Word, provided to us as promises given to His children.  This is the realm of what is impossible to man but not with God.

Matthew 17:20 –  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

          Unbelief restricts us from seeing and applying God’s power.

Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Mark 9:23 –  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 

Mark 10:27 – And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

          Outside of this box things are unfamiliar and are challenges that we normally don’t deal with: this is where we faith it!  Outside of this box, nothing is impossible!  It is not we who do the impossible, but it is God responding to us believing in Him and His promises.  All we need to do is ask and believe.

Mark 11:24 –  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

          This power operating outside the box can be a witness of Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD.

John 14:12-14 –  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

          Since our Heavenly Father is not limited in His ability as we are, He can do all things: we are only limited by our faith and belief to ask and trust.

Ephesians 3:20 –  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 

            So what is “the power that worketh in us?” –  FAITH in Him, because He is the power!

2 Corinthians 5:7 –  for we walk by faith, not by sight:

          Outside the box we will see the power of God operate as we believe and receive what He promised.  This power serves a purpose!

Acts 1:8 –  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

          By this divine power we are able to be witnesses of the LORD Jesus Christ to this lost world.  And indeed we should as the children of God, be equipped of Him to continue to do His work as Jesus commissioned us to do.

          Examples of operating and living outside the box are listed as the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit functioning in us by our faithfulness to His Word.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 – Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;  to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;  to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

         One of the above gifts even allows us to pray “outside the box”.  This is the gift of praying in tongues where our understanding is useless because we are praying by the Spirit by the power of God, and only God understands and He sees and answers what is in secret.

1 Corinthians 14:14 –  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. 

          The LORD has issued His divine equipment to do the task that He has assigned to us.  All we need to do is to believe and accept what He said and promised.

Mark 16:16-18 – He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

             We are told not to lean on our own understanding, but to totally trust in Him and He will direct our affairs and we serve Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thinme own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

          As a born-again Christian, are you stuck in your box, or are you using your faith in the Lord, and in His Word, to operate outside of the box?  It is not to enhance your life on this earth, but to reveal Him to others with the power He gives to us for His glory!

          We should not only invite God into our little personal box, but we need to acknowledge that God invites us to operate outside of our box but into His great big and wonderful box of the spiritual and heavenly realm; in the kingdom of God.