The world of fairy-tales has been loved through many generations, survived several major wars, and seen the major technological advancement of our modern world. From France’s “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”  (Little Red Riding Hood) to Russia’s “The White Duck”, many countries have “a tale as old a time”.

Rapunzel, a 19th century German tale written by the Brothers Grimm was recently recreated by Disney as the story Tangled. It follows fairly accurately the story of a kidnapped infant living until her 18th year as a prisoner in a tower. This tower kept her from the world around her, blocked her extended view of the kingdom, and limited her options for life. She was placed in the tower by her kidnapper with the purpose of serving her needs and desires.

My Rapunzel Tower

As I recently began to think about this story and how Rapunzel’s thoughts on the world changed once she escaped the tower, it began to feel quite similar to our Christian walk. We often have a very limited view of God’s kingdom and our purpose in it. We often find ourselves hiding in the comfort of what we know. We often place limitations on how God might use us because our vision is blocked by our tower.

In the fairy tale, Rapunzel’s tower is strategically built without a door, tall enough to limit the possibility of escape, and fortified to counter any attacks (from the inside or out). Our personal towers are often built quite similarly. While we may have started with a door, we often wall them up as we embrace our tower home. We strengthen the walls each time we determine that our sin is more important than the outside kingdom.

Leaving The Tower Behind

One thing that remained true in both the original Rapunzel story and the more recent Tangled remake is that once Rapunzel found out who she truly was, she did not return to her tower.

If you have Jesus as your Savior, you are a child of the King. You hold a place in the kingdom. You are more than a prisoner in your own tower of sin. You are valued. You have a purpose. You are being invited to leave your tower behind.

Why do we struggle with this idea? Does our tower feel too comfortable? Are we scared to move away from what we know? Does the outside of our tower seem too big and overwhelming?

Today, I would encourage you to think about your tower. What holds you back from the purpose God has for your life? What traps you and keeps you from living as a child of the King? What makes up the walled in door that keeps you from walking out into the kingdom?

Trust God with those things today.

 ^“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.”- Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

*Check out the class activity I created around this idea.

Rapunzel’s Tower Activity