The point here is that Jesus, through his work on the cross, has lifted the lid on your jam jar(life). However have you got so used to the containment of your life that you have stopped reaching out for all that you could be?

In Exodus 14:11-12 we see that was so true of the Israelites coming out of bondage. God and Moses had lifted the lid on their lives. They had great potential for reaching their destiny of the promised land. Instead when it got a little tough they complained and looked back to their previous life.
It tells us
1 They were free but still contained in their thinking
2 They were not focused on the potential but easily    distracted on the way
3 They wanted change but they also wanted the comfort of what they were familiar with
4 That thinking held them back and kept them in the wilderness.

We all have potential to achieve great things but if our lid is holding us back we need to catch hold of some things so we can change. If you have a lid on what you think you can do it will stop you pressing through to find it.

That happened to the two brothers who founded McDonalds in 1937 in California. At first they succeeded in building up the business with the introduction of new ways of working. However as the business grew they just could not take it to the next level. There was a lid on their know how. Someone named Ray Croc came into partnership with them and his expertise took McDonalds to the next level. So much so that in 1961 he bought the business for 2.7 million dollars and made the company the global entity it is now, regardless of whether you like their burgers or not.

It is a powerful lesson. Now you may feel that thinking about that situation it goes to prove you can only do what you are doing and nothing can change. However that is not so. We can change and we can achieve more than we think.

Paul in Philippians 3:14 declares we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us

In Philippians 3:12-14 he encourages us to press on because there is an upward call on our lives.

To make those changes is going to require some effort on our part.  I once heard a minister say the heart cry of God to his people was this 
“Do something”

The Israelites wanted out of Egypt but they were not prepared to do the something required to get the Egypt thinking out of them.

Are you aware today that perhaps you have, maybe even unconsciously placed a lid on your own jam jar for whatever reason.

The McDonald brothers couldn’t break out. They could only stay in the area comfortable to them.

However the scripture says you can do all things in Christ. It is time to press on and do that.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 has Paul showing us that we can all run and win the prize but it also tells us that it will require discipline and focus.

Next time we shall look at some things that hold us back and keep the lid on. Watch this space for more.