What's holding you back?

"What's holding you back? What's got you tied down? God wants to burn it off."

That was one of the major points that Pastor Rick Warren mentioned in a recent sermon highlighting Daniel in the fiery furnace.

His point was that when we go through "the fire" of various trials, God is with us. And God is protecting us.

Warren pointed out that Daniel and his two friends' bodies were not singed or otherwise affected by the fire. The only thing that burned up during their time in the flames were the ropes that had been used to tie them up. (Daniel 3.25).

Warren went on to talk about the symbolism of that act.

Yes, the three men were subjected to the fire. But they trusted God. And God totally protected them. Even to the extent of sending an angelic presence to them (Daniel 3.25).

The only thing that was burned were the ropes that had bound Daniel and his friends. And in the end, they were free. In fact, "Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn't even smell of smoke!" (Daniel 3.27).

They were free of what had bound them.

So Warren then asked the question at the top of this post.

And I've been thinking about it ever since.

What's holding you back?

Is it habit? Is it low self-esteem? Is it fear of what others think? Is it insecurity?

What's got you tied down?

Is it the past? Is it disappointment? Is it an inability to see beyond your current situation?

The fiery furnace can be seen as symbolic for any crisis, said Warren. "And sometimes God saves us FROM the crisis; sometimes God saves us THROUGH the crisis, and sometimes God saves us BY the crisis."

Naturally we want to be spared from any crisis or difficult situation, because we look at life primarily through the eyes of our own experience. We automatically think of pain or difficulty as being bad. So anything that "burns" us is a problem.

But Warren pointed out: "Sometimes the problem in your life isn't the problem."

What if we looked at our life and the crisis (or fire) through God's eyes?

Through His love. His mercy. His grace. His wisdom. His understanding.

We have a God who has tremendous resources freely willing to share them with us. God's the One who says if we can't figure it all out, to come to God for wisdom. And God will give it to us freely, without reproach. (James 1.5).

God's Son also encourages us to ask, seek and knock. (Matt. 7.7, Luke 11.9-10)

Towards the end of his sermon Warren summed up by saying "You're the architect of your life."

He emphasized the importance of building on a strong foundation.

With a solid foundation under us, there is a confidence and trust that promotes true freedom. The freedom to go to God and let God take care of whatever is holding us back.

Here's a link to Warren's sermon.

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