Get out of your fishtank!

Php 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Get out of your fish tank? I recently heard someone say this very thing. "Get out of your fish tank" he said to the crowd. When you first hear that it doesn’t make much sense to you. I have to admit that it sure sounded strange to me. The speaker went on to explain that fish will only grow as big as the tank you put them in. For example, if someone wants a pet shark to keep in a tank at home, they buy a small tank and put the shark in it as a baby. Believe it or not, the shark will only grow as big as the tank. If you were to put that same shark into the ocean, it would grow to be the size and weight it was created to be.

When I got home from this event I could not get that statement out of my mind. I sat down and did a little research on the whole fish tank/size situation. I found that there is even more to the story. While it appears that this statement is true, a more correct way of stating it would be "A fish will become stunted and unhealthy in a tank that is too small." Putting a fish that is meant to be big, strong and healthy into a small tank will cause it to be smaller, weaker and unhealthier than it was created to be.

Isn't this same statement true of us as Christians? I mean think about it. God has created us to be strong, growing, healthy Christians fulfilling His kingdom work. His Spirit lives within us. Did you catch that? The Spirit of the living God dwells within His children. The Spirit of the One who spoke the universe into existence! Wow! What an amazing truth. (Ro 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.) The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you as a Christian. Just let that sink in for one moment. This is the truth of God's Word, yet we limit ourselves to our small fish tank where we are weakened and less effective for the kingdom of God.

I am here to tell you that there is more! Listen young people and adults alike. There is a whole ocean of God's truth out there and He is just waiting for you to jump into it head first. Don't insult God with small living and dwarfed goals. Climb out of your fish tank. Be what you were created to be. Live how you were created to life, for the Spirit of Christ our King dwells within you. Don’t buy into the lies that satan offers. You are worth more than you know. You are able to do great things far and beyond what we sometimes believe. I believe in you. Better than that, the God of heaven and earth believes in you and has equipped you.

I challenge you to spend some time with God this week asking Him to show you more. Jump into the ocean!

Lu 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.