What God Tells Me About the Cages We Build | Devotional
Category: Devotional
Reflection
When I look at my dogs, I feel both joy and a kind of sorrow. They are happy creatures. Content in the moment, living free from worry about the past or the future. I love seeing them roam through the house, stretch out wherever they like, and run beside me on walks or join us on family trips. They deserve to be free and to experience the world.
But sometimes I feel sorry for them. They can’t walk out the door on their own. They are kept within the walls of the house, or tethered to me when outside. I hold them back, even if it’s out of love and protection. And in that, I see myself.
I realize I’ve built a cage for myself too. This house has become my cage, and I’ve tethered myself to it through work and the demands of man-made systems. These things are not God’s plan or design; they are cages of our own making. God created us to roam, to move, to carry His presence across the earth. I believe He designed us to be nomadic. To spread out, to travel, to live free. Instead, we anchor ourselves to walls and routines, convincing ourselves we can’t step outside unless we bring along all the baggage that keeps us tied to work, to possessions, and to unspiritual, un-Godlike things.
God speaks to me through this: the cages we build are not always physical. They are made of control, fear, regret, and endless striving. Yet He calls us to step into the freedom He offers, not reckless or unprotected, but unchained from what holds us back from joy in the present.
Scripture
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." — John 8:36
Leadership Principle
A true leader must first recognize when a cage has been built. Whether by fear, control, or the weight of worldly systems. Even if the leader himself feels trapped, the priority is not his own escape. His first responsibility is to guide others out, to open the way so they can live free. Once the people around him are freed, the leader will find that he, too, is free. Because a leader who sets others free cannot remain chained himself. Leadership is not about personal comfort; it is about sacrifice, stewardship, and setting others free to live as God intended.
Prayer
Lord, show me the cages I’ve built in my own life. Break the chains of fear, regret, and control that keep me from living freely in You. Help me walk in the present, trusting that Your love protects me and Your Spirit leads me.
A Father’s Blessing
To my children: May you never make the mistake I did. To build a cage, live within it, and then justify its existence. Do not settle for the walls the world tells you to accept. Live freely in the moment God gives you, with joy and trust. Know that true freedom is found not in doing whatever you want, but in walking with God. Unshackled, loved, and whole.
