I shared a few blog posts ago about how my daughter has recently adopted her friends’ bunny.
It has been one month now since bunny came to live with my daughter. Each afternoon, when my daughter gets home from work, she gets bunny out of his cage on the back patio and brings him inside to hang out with her for a while until she goes to bed.
At first, bunny was not used to leaving his cage … ever. Bunny had only ever sat in his cage on the back patio. Bunny did not know how to hop. Bunny didn’t know how to jump. Bunny had never really had freedom to explore.
In those first couple of weeks after bunny came to live with my daughter, whenever my daughter would bring him inside and place him on a blanket, he would just sit there. He wouldn’t move. He made no effort whatsoever to leave the blanket or explore.
After a few days, bunny got up the courage to start exploring. My daughter would be in the kitchen fixing her dinner and when she turned around, bunny would be all the way down the hall exploring the bedrooms.
Then, when bunny started to chew on her nice storage baskets, she decided it was time for bunny to have a “bunny playpen.”
As you can tell, there’s really no reason why bunny couldn’t hop right out of his “bunny playpen.” The fence is not very tall at all. Bunny can easily raise up on his hind legs and look out from his “bunny playpen.” But bunny has never hopped … or jumped. Bunny doesn’t know he actually has the ability to hop over the low fence.
Slowly … ever so slowly … bunny is gaining confidence. Bunny is learning how to hop! Here you can see bunny’s very first hop! Yay bunny!
I shared in a previous blog post how my daughter placed bunny’s cage right next to his “bunny playpen” and had opened both the front doors wide open. She was hoping to encourage bunny to hop down into his “bunny playpen.” Nothing was left in bunny’s cage except bunny. Everything fun was directly in front of bunny, down in his “bunny playpen.”
But as I shared before, bunny was too scared to leave his cage. He had only ever known being in a cage. He had never hopped. He had never jumped down out of his cage before. So, bunny sat for a full hour in his cage, never even attempting to jump down into his “bunny playpen.”
Countless times bunny stuck most of himself out, sniffing … and then pulled back in fear.
Eventually, my daughter picked bunny up and placed him in his “bunny playpen” where he could run around and play.
Now … ever so slowly … bunny is gaining confidence. Just this week bunny, for the very first time, jumped down out of his bunny cage! Yay bunny!
Now, when my daughter gets home from work each afternoon, instead of picking bunny up out of his cage and bringing him inside to his “bunny playpen” … now my daughter simply opens up the front door to his cage. With the front door wide open, bunny has the freedom and the opportunity to leave his cage on his own.
It takes a few minutes. Bunny is unsure. Bunny scuttles to the back corner of his cage. He’s fearful.
But my daughter just sits and waits patiently.
Eventually, bunny’s desire for freedom and exploration overcomes his fear. He approaches the edge of his cage and peers out.
Bunny sniffs. Bunny peers down out of his cage.
Bunny scuttles back again in fear.
After a moment, bunny once more cautiously peers down out of his cage.
Then in a great move of courage … bunny hops down!
Bunny is now greatly enjoying his freedom to hop all over my daughter’s back deck! Bunny is greatly enjoying his freedom to explore!
Bunny scampers this way … then stands up on his hind legs to survey things. Bunny is very curious!
Bunny even hops over, stands up on his hind legs to survey his cage … jumps back up into his cage … noses around … then makes the brave leap back down out of his cage again. Yay bunny!
It’s great fun to watch bunny grow in confidence! It’s great fun to watch bunny grow in his ability to hop and run!
Bunny’s back legs are getting stronger. Bunny is learning! Bunny is growing! Bunny is curious and happy!
I can’t help but think how similar this is to our own spiritual growth and spiritual maturity. When we first place our faith and our belief in Jesus Christ, we are a lot like bunny who didn’t know how to hop or jump. Before giving our life to Jesus, we were “trapped” in the “cage” of our sin. The “cage” of our sin was the only thing we ever knew.
Then when we surrendered to Jesus Christ, Jesus opened the “cage” doors and gave us the ability to have freedom.
But we had never left our “cage” of sin before. We didn’t know how to live in freedom.
Growing in spiritual maturity, and growing in freedom in Christ is a process. It’s a slow and steady process … just like bunny learning to hop and jump is a slow, gradual process.
Bit by bit we learn that we do indeed have freedom in Christ. We don’t have to be trapped in a “cage” of sin … or a “cage” of legalism … or a “cage” of trying to be good enough … or a “cage” of trying to earn our way to Heaven.
Jesus loves us! Just like my daughter loves bunny.
Jesus provides for us! Just like my daughter provides fresh leafy salad greens for bunny.
And Jesus is patient with us! Just like my daughter is patient with bunny. My daughter opens the doors of bunny’s cage and gives bunny the opportunity to jump down on his own.
So also, Jesus gives us the opportunity to “jump down” on our own. But we, just like bunny, are unsure. We scurry back and forth in fear. And all the while, Jesus sits there (just like my daughter) patiently waiting for us to “jump.”
We poke our nose out, sniffing … and Jesus is patiently waiting for us.
Then, when we do get up the courage to “jump” … Jesus is so proud of us! Jesus celebrates our courage and our bravery … just like my daughter celebrates bunny’s courage and bravery.
The more bunny grows in his ability, the more freedom bunny has! The more freedom bunny has, the more bunny can explore … and learn!
This is the same when it comes to our own spiritual maturity and our spiritual growth. As we grow in our faith, the more freedom we find that we have! And as we grow in our faith, the more we learn about who God is! … and all the deep wonderful things in Scripture God has to share with us!
Spiritual growth is a process! A slow and steady process. Just like bunny’s growth is a slow and steady process.
And Jesus is right there celebrating each tiny step of progress we make as we learn and grow in our faith in Him!
