The Cages of Fear

Snakes, heights, darkness, public speaking, holes, bugs, death -- we each have our own fears. Whether it's a fictional clown that resides in a sewer, or if it's a stinging, very real reality happening in your everyday life, every person has fear(s). I don't think it's a sin to be aware of the fear and I don't think it's a sin to be afraid in the first place. But, when it does become a problem, in my own opinion, is when we let it control our actions and hinder our ability to do as Jesus would do.
Here's what I mean, sometimes this "cage" fear puts us in may be very small. The fear comes crashing down on us in a moment, like if you were to put me in a pit with snakes (NO THANK YOU)! I am very aware that I am in a pit with snakes... my fear is very there, in my face, and real. When I went skydiving, that was a small cage. Very real, quick to get out of. Small cages are moments in time that are easy to spot and probably easy to overcome.

God didn’t give us a cowardly spirit but a spirit of power, love, and good judgment. " 2 Timothy 1:7

​HOWEVER, there is another kind of fear. This kind of fear has the tendency, to put us in a cage. With this kind of fear, we usually can't even tell we're in a cage. The reality about this cage is that most of the time we make it ourselves. This cage comes from fears like failure, rejection, and aloneness. This cage allows us to go far enough without taking a risk. This cage wants us to go far...as long as we don't step outside, into the unknown. Honestly, we may not ever know we're in a cage. Often times, without our permission, our own fears give us parameters we spend our whole lives within.
My charge to you: identify your cage and work hard to break out of it. Don't let fear put and keep you in a cage!