Perhaps you are hesitant in letting go or giving up. Perhaps you are fearful that God might judge you or give you what others may think you deserve. Perhaps you are frightened he might give you what you think you deserve. Take a deep breath for a moment. Clear your brain and then read this entry closely.

That box life you are holding onto is nothing more than a life measured by constraints and limitations rather than the limitless potential God has placed within you. God the Father sent God the Son to join us in our human box. We were not created originally in a box, but the disobedience of Adam locked all of us in a human box marred by sin. Jesus joined us, but his box was empty because he had no sin nature, nor did he sin in word, thought, or deed.

Jesus was human—he was flesh and blood just like you and me. He got tired, hungry, thirsty, angry, sad, bled when cut, and bruised when struck. He was the real deal. Yet, he was not limited in his humanity. Not because he was God (and he was—100%), but rather because he was a man wholly empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus understood what it takes to live the life God has called each of us to. He accomplished it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God has no desire to punish or embarrass you. His desire is to heal you and fill you with his presence and power—with his Holy Spirit. Jesus promised he would empower all his followers and he would do so through the filling or baptism (you choose the word you are most comfortable with—they are both biblical) of the Holy Spirit.

Most Christians live powerless lives chained to the bondage of the past. A powerless Christian is an oxymoron. The words powerless and Christian do not go together. It was unknown in the books of the New Testament. Jesus promised his followers he would baptize them in the Holy Spirit and fire. He was not talking about the indwelling of the Spirit that comes when a person is born again. He was talking about an empowerment to do what he has called us to do—an empowerment to live the Christian life to the fullest.

The fear you are feeling may be there because the power you need is lacking. I am not questioning whether you are a believer or not, so relax. The question is: are you empowered by the Holy Spirit? He is the only one who can destroy your box. If you are filled with the Spirit your box can’t hold you—it’s simply too small.

This is just a thought—you can take it or leave it, but please consider it a bit before you make a decision one way or another. If Jesus needed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to complete the work he had been sent to do—if Jesus needed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptations and tricks of the devil—if Jesus needed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to stand firm against the threats and questions of the religious elite—don’t you think you do as well?

If Jesus needed to be baptized with the Spirit or filled with the Spirit (both of which took place in his life according to Luke), don’t you think you do as well? Forget about the boxes for a moment—this is really a question of what you truly believe.

Are you experiencing the life-changing presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life right now? If not, why not? Perhaps that’s the real issue. Do you remember the limitless potential I mention back in the first paragraph? If you belong to Jesus Christ, that limitless potential is the Holy Spirit.