Thinking Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box is more than just a cliche'.  It means approaching problems in a more creative and innovative way.  We're told to "think outside the box" all the time - but how do we actually do that?

There are several ways to think outside the box, however, that CHANGE begins with you!  OUCH, what - me?  Yes, you.  You have to be willing to change, you have to be willing to be stretched out, you have to be uncomfortable to really begin to think outside the box.  I was recently confronted with a situation and asked how would you handle this?  The person went on and on about what others were doing and how no one else was acting right or looking for solutions.  I abruptly stopped them and asked, "but what about you?"  Screech...  Yes, the conversation came to an abrupt and awkward halt as they looked at me like I just took their lunch money or something.  "What about me, why are you asking what about me?"

Thinking outside the box requires self examination first. You see we like the safe route, the comfortable route, we don't like to fail-
 but we have to step outside of ourselves and look at the BIG picture of the situation.  The opinions we have grown up with, the experiences we have had that have shaped how we think and the people around us that influence the things we do and how we react.  Shake things up, connect with some people who are in other groups or associations.  Join a club, take a dance lesson, read a book other than the genre your used to.  Try writing a poem or short story, even a blog just to begin to express yourself in a way you are unfamiliar with.  All these things will open up your imagination, your innovative juices will begin to flow and you will "leap out of the box."

One of the things that upset so many people when Jesus walked on the earth was that He was different.  He talked different, He acted different, He treated people different and it was unfamiliar for those who encountered Him.  Many times, when we are confronted with things or people that make us uncomfortable it is easier to simply cut them off or get rid of them.  Instead of embracing the change and learning and growing.  God is always out of the box, Jesus arrived on the scene and never got in the box - now it's up to us to leap out of this box and trust God in ways we never have experienced before. 

I like it out here, and I am fighting to not go back into that box.  I want to keep growing, I want to keep maturing, I want to keep pushing the envelope and see the miracles of God manifest in my life and the lives of those around me.  I want to see the ministry explode, I want to see people of different races than me embrace me, I want to see marriages thrive and families enjoy one another.  So what we have been doing isn't working that great-so lets try something new.  Jump out of the box and watch God do some great things in you and through you.  Blessings my friends....take a moment to share this blog with a friend, you never know who it may help.  Expect the Great.....