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THE FLESH | HATES IMMOVABLE ABSOLUTES
Human nature, in its fallen state, resists immovable absolutes because they confront the desire for self-rule and unrestricted autonomy.
The flesh craves freedom without accountability, yet Scripture declares, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Boundaries—whether moral, spiritual, or even physical—challenge the human will, exposing its resistance to Holy order. The absolute truths of God’s Word stand unshaken, yet society fights to redefine them, seeking fluidity where God has established permanence. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, humanity yearns to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5), deciding right and wrong apart from Him. But the rejection of absolute truth leads not to freedom, but chaos—where moral relativism blinds and lawlessness prevails. Only surrender to God’s eternal principles brings true liberty, for “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). Until the heart bends in humility, it will continue to wage war against the foundation it cannot shake.
This became my life lesson!
My Dark Place of Cleithrophobia!
Cleithrophobia specifically relates to the fear of being physically & mentally confined or unable to escape. People with cleithrophobia may panic in situations where they feel locked in, even if the space itself is not small.
The Walls Were Always There.
From the moment I understood the world, I also understood its limits. The walls of my bedroom, though painted in soft colors, felt too close, too sturdy, too permanent. The doors always seemed heavier than they should be, the air too still, as if waiting for me to surrender to the quiet, which resulted in chronic severe asthma.
My mother told me I spent more nights sleeping on the roof of the house than I did in my bed.
It wasn’t just the rooms that trapped me—it was the unspoken rules, the expectations that shaped the way I should think, behave, and believe. They weren’t always wrong, but they were always there. “Sit still, listen, don’t question too much, and stay where it’s safe.” But “safe” never felt safe. It felt like a boundary I couldn’t push without consequence.
School was another kind of cage—desks in neat rows, lessons taught with a rhythm that left no room for wandering thoughts. The fear wasn’t failing; it was disappearing into the structure, losing the freedom to ask, to doubt, to dream beyond what was permitted. School didn’t “feel” like the roof of my house.
I recall the day I stood at the edge of the backyard, gazing out at the trees beyond the fence, feeling the pull of something larger. My feet itched to run. My mind begged to break past the invisible walls, the silent rules that kept me where I was. And yet, fear kept me rooted. What would happen if I left the space assigned to me? Would the world expand, or would it turn into another version of the same confinement?
As an adult, a counselor told me that my Cleithrophobia was a result of living in my oxygen tent bubble for five years + being confined to our home until fourth grade. Sure, logically it made sense, but that didn’t change my phobias.
It took years to learn that not all walls were meant to trap. Some were meant to be climbed, broken, and reshaped into doors that led somewhere new. The fear never truly left me—it still whispers when decisions feel too big, when expectations press in too tightly. But I know, now, that the world outside is always waiting, and that even the strongest walls can crack beneath the weight of a determined heart.
I became a “daredevil.”
Fear was a prison, and I refused to let it hold me forever. At some point, the walls felt too tight, the expectations too suffocating—I needed to prove that I could defy them. So I pushed myself to the edge, taking risks that sent adrenaline surging through my veins.
By the time I reached my teen years, heights, speed, danger—if something terrified me, I ran straight toward it. Riding roller coasters that hurled me into the sky, squeezing through narrow spaces that once made my heart pound, leaping from cliffs into the unknown—I dared myself to challenge every limit. I drag raced, flew in hang gliders, skied dangerous ski slopes, and did anything else that I was dared to do. It wasn’t about recklessness; it was about taking back control. Each time I pushed the boundary, the fear loosened its grip. I rode the thrill until confinement lost its power, proving that I would never be boxed in—not by walls, not by doubt, not by anything. However, these ridiculous acts are not what delivered me from my Cleithrophobia.
The indwelling presence of Yeshua has completely transformed my life, dissolving the fear that once held me captive.
Where confinement once suffocated my spirit—both physically and mentally—His truth set me free. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17), and in Him, I found release from the walls that once closed in around me. Instead of fearing limitation, I now rest in the assurance that true freedom comes not from escape, but from surrender to His perfect will. No earthly boundary can imprison a soul anchored in the vastness of His love. The fear of being trapped faded in the light of His presence, replaced by unwavering trust that I walk not by sight, but by faith. Through Yeshua, I am free indeed.
HUMAN NATURE IS PHOBIC
Human nature, in its fallen state, is inherently cleithrophobic—resistant to confinement and boundaries—because it longs for autonomy while rejecting God’s order. Ever since Adam and Eve reached for forbidden knowledge in the Garden, mankind has sought self-determination, yet found itself imprisoned by fear. Scripture declares, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9), revealing how humanity’s deep-seated rebellion against limits leads not to freedom, but anxiety.
The human soul wrestles not only with cleithrophobia but a dozen other fears: fear of surrender, fear of judgment, fear of losing control, fear of truth, fear of insignificance, fear of isolation, fear of suffering, fear of change, fear of death, fear of accountability, fear of divine wrath, and fear of complete dependence on God. Yet Yeshua declares, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Today, I am known for being fearless. That might be true, but it isn’t a result of being a daredevil; it is by the GRACE of God.
Watch the video above.
True freedom is not found in breaking away from constraints, but in embracing the safety and peace of His authority. Only in Christ does the soul cease its restless struggle against the boundaries it was never meant to escape.
I challenge all of us to walk toward our fears, set our minds on His indwelling rest and peace, then embrace what we fear with full confidence in Yeshua.
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