How beautiful it is, your golden cage. But, do you really wanna stay in there?
You can bearly move. Do you want to spend your life days behind bars?
You can see wide from your golden cage, but you'll never be able to go there.
You see it, and you admire it.
Sometimes, you use your golden cage as a hiding place.
Rise up, get moving!
There is a world witing on you, out there.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the L ord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1, 9
What is your golden cage? What keeps you in it's strong hold?
For me, I'm scared to fail. I always ask myself, what others might think about me if I fail?
This is so stupid!
Because, I have the skills, I have the possibilities, I am able to do it!
I'll give you an example:
On sommer sunny days I love it to leave wide open my windows and to air my house that way. At best they will stay open all day and night long.
Of course, I close the windows as soon as the sun heata up this side of the house and the heat spreads inside..
But, for the night it cools so wonderfully down.
One lovely morning, after I had left the windows open during the night (the stores have been half closed), I discovered a grasshopper by the window in the living room.
But, not just a grasshopper, no! A really big one!
Okay, for me he was like a giant. In reality he measured about 10 cm.
After this, almost traumatic incident (yes I am exaggerating a little bit), I never dared again to leave the windows open for the nights.
What if I leave the windows open and another grasshopper come in my house?
So what? You gonna out him outside!
Another example:
I do speak several languages, and still, I'm frightened if someone speaks to me in one of these languages. It happen that I don't know the correct word or the correct term for this. What a shame that would be!
So what! If you don't just jump in at the deep, you'll never get anywhere!
And also, um, well, I speak these languages.
It is only the fear to fail which blocks me.
Because once I have started speaking in one of these languages, it goes by itself and I have no doubt that I am not able to move in this language. I experience this every time new.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives us a glimpse of what it will be like outside the golden cage:
We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed;
2. Corinthians 4, 8-9
Do not forget:
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one.
2. Thessalonians 3,3
And now, guess what happened last night?
Yeess, I have left open the windows again! No animal has entered my house(I really don't like these little crawling animals/insects). And if it does happen again one day, I will simply throw it out.
You jsut have to dare! The only thing that can happen to you is life. With all it's ups and downs.