Prisons

Recently I've come to wonder at our freedom. We've been granted an immense amount of it. We can go where we like. We can say what we like. We can even be whoever we choose. Yet, we often choose to waive such freedoms.

I could live anywhere, yet for some reason I choose to stay within the boundaries of my house, venturing out only to ascertain certain things crucial to my survival, only to subsequently retreat back to the safety of my abode.

I could say things that I feel passionate about, or speak my mind about anything I should like to. Yet I don't for fear of what others may think or that they may disagree. The same applies to who I choose to be, or more precisely, who I choose to present myself as being.

I find we often create our own prisons in which we can safely reside. Within the walls of our cell we cram everything that we are, keeping it safe behind locked bars away from the rest of the world. This can be rather stifling, trapped as we are along with all these thoughts, feelings, opinions, emotions and character traits.

There is of course some overlap. Certain times where our own thoughts and ideas match those of others. And so we feel comfortable inviting such people into that part of our cell to share with them things that we know they will approve of. But we never choose to allow them to venture beyond, to let them see things about us they may not wholly like, or let them truly see and understand who we are. Likewise, when invited into other's cells, we fear too venture to far beyond. We fear we may come across things that negatively impact our perceptions of them, or that we may find things that challenge our own ideas and ways of thinking or living.

God has given us one of the greatest gifts of all. The freedom to express ourselves, even if such expression is contrary to what He wants of us. But we often choose to lock ourselves away, attempting to hide our faults from others and even from Him, though the latter is a rather fruitless pursuit. And so we never allow Him or others the chance to help us grow or better ourselves. Instead we are content to remain safely within our own little prisons, lonely and bored, never truly sharing in fellowship with the Lord or our fellow man (or woman for those types who aren't satisfied by the use of man as a general reference to all people).