The Freedom Of Limitation – Living Inside God's BoxSample

Even Jesus Had a Box – The Purpose Box

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

With the talents and abilities that Jesus possessed, in theory at least, He could have been anyone and done anything. However, Jesus came to an understanding that all He was, all He had and all that He could do was for a unique purpose – a purpose specified by His Father.

Jesus could have eaten any “food” He wanted, but chose instead to order off the menu prescribed by the Father. There was other food on the menu! The devil offered Him the kingdoms of the world if He would just bow and worship him (Luke 4:5-6) and the people wanted to make Him their king because, ironically, He provided them with lunch (John 6:14-15). However, Jesus refused all this because He had decided to live within the purpose-box in which He had been placed. The Father’s food had now become His food and Father’s work had now become His will.

The irony is that in some cases, even the purpose of God can feel like a box to us. Our marriage, our job, our ministry, our position, our opportunities, can all feel like restrictive boxes, especially if we listen to those who profess to offer something beyond those boundaries. I have discovered that offers of distraction have rarely come from some weird and unexpected area, or have tried to take me in the opposite direction. The most subtle and dangerous moments of my life have been when what is being offered feels right, looks right and isn’t a million miles off where I think I’m going anyway. The most dangerous sort of distractions are those that offer something in the ballpark of where we already are and what we already believe!

What the devil offered Jesus, the Father would ultimately give Him anyway. The kingdoms of the world would one day be His. What the people offered Him, the Father would ultimately give Him anyway. One day He would reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus got the kingdoms of the world and became King of kings because He stayed within the purpose-box of His Father. He refused the other delicacies on offer and He stuck with the menu the Father had placed before Him.