Caged Mind

 

Proverbs 4:23

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Proverbs 3:19

“The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens.”

Proverbs 3:21-23

“My son, let them not vanish from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble.” 

This picture came into my mind after realizing where my mind had been…where I had unintentionally placed myself out of fear, others’ words, my surroundings, etc. How many times have we done this, but first, what is a “caged mind”? What does this exactly look like?

A caged mind is one who over-analyzes, over-thinks, and essentially paralyzes forward movement/advancement by overthinking and overanalyzing. However, faith in the Kingdom of God does not look like this. Faith looks like doing what God has shown or told you in wisdom with Him, and then looking back to celebrate everything you both have accomplished together. What a celebration it is! 

God will even have you moving with Him without realizing you’re moving with Him. This will come in the form of an idea out of nowhere, or a sense to do something or tell someone about something you might be working on. Come to find out, that’s your destiny helper! Go figure! 

God encouraged me during my prayer time to look back on what has already taken place…which is a lot. I do not think about going into detail because it rarely crosses my mind. Maybe someday I’ll tell the journey, but I know there’s still a lot more to finish and accomplish. 

Without the Word of God, prayer, fasting, and sitting under great teaching, the enemy will have you thinking you have accomplished nothing in life and that this is it…there’s nothing else… but that’s a lie. There is still time; time that can be utilized in strategizing with God and those whom you trust. Our Father produces great work, so accept nothing but the best. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have to start small but start somewhere, and this most likely will mean that not a lot will support or finance you, but you moved. 

Movement, of faith, is setting yourself and your mind free from the cage. What is the cage? The cage is all the lies you’ve told yourself about yourself. The cage was built up over time consisting of doubt, worry, fear, dismemberment of your identity, low self-esteem, word curses, and so on. This cage consists of so much negativity, you yourself actually start to believe it so much to the point where you have given access to these things to lock you in to where you become these things. You have the key! You hold the control! 

Allow Holy Spirit to set your mind free by renewing it (Rm 12:1-2). Meditate day and night on the things and the promises of the Lord (Josh 1:8-9), and the Lord (being so gracious that He is) will begin to fill your mind and your heart with so much, it’d be impossible not to move nor believe that He is a fulfiller of promises and covenant. 

***Let’s Pray!!! Father, we thank you for freeing and delivering and setting the captives free. We thank you for tearing down the altars we’ve allowed to be built up over the years that have caged us in. We speak with authority when we say and speak fire to these altars. Altars of confusion, doubt, fear, worry, stress, and low self-esteem. Father, we walk confidently in that which you are calling us to do. Let us not grow weary in well-doing, but know that you are there with us every step of the way. That your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Let us not be swayed by soothsayers that will try to push us into doing things we’re not ready nor mature for. Father, we ask for more of your wisdom in regards to how you would want things you have trusted us with to be presented. Let us not confuse wisdom with being over-analytical, but Lord let your movements be our movements and let your hand be our hand. We want to move in-tandem with you and not before you. We love you and honor you. In Jesus’ Name we pray—Amen.***