Girl, You Have Limits (And Jesus Knows Them!)
I’m not sure about you, but I have limits. Wait, scratch that. I do know about you. You have limits. We were designed, created, and set apart on this earth by the same awesome God.
Not only do we have limits, but Jesus had limits. Gasp. Let me explain.
Did Jesus Have Limits?
If Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, doesn’t his God-ness trump the human-ness and grant him limitless superpowers? Yes and no.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:6-7, NIV, emphasis mine
He did not come to earth to be equal with God. He came to serve us and fill a hopeless hole that we can not fill on our own doing.
Ya know, the whole sin thing? No amount of good deeds or random acts of kindness can make our hearts complete or deserving of living with God after we die. The Bible tells us so.
Jesus’ Limits Through His Humanity
Not new news: Jesus came from heaven.
Possibly new news: Jesus stepped into limits as he became a man.
Why, then, do we convince ourselves that if we hustle hard enough, we can be limitless? I’ll tell you why. Because culture has convinced us that, through self-actualization, we can attain anything we put our minds to.
We are caught up in this hierarchical race to the top of whatever peak quenches our ego.
I was an adult before I identified with the humanity of Jesus. Up to that point, I visualized him as being proper, poised, positive and perfect. All of which apply.
But he also felt a spectrum of emotions that I used to (within myself) see as a weakness.
- Jesus felt exhaustion: Matthew 14:13, Mark 6:31, Luke 5:16, John 6:15
- Jesus felt disgust: John 2:13-17
- Jesus felt anger: Matthew 23:33, Matthew 7:15, Ezekiel 34
- Jesus felt sorrow: John 11:32, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
- Jesus felt frustration: Mark 4:35-41
- Jesus felt agony: Luke 22:42, Hebrews 4:15
If Jesus, God himself in flesh, was allowed to feel big feelings and reach a place mentally/emotionally/physically that had to be managed and redirected before temptation took over, how much more should we manage and redirect ourselves?
Girl, You Have Limits and Potential
Having limits doesn’t make you disabled (I say that in the most sensitive way).
It makes you humble. It makes you reconsider whether you are trying to relate to God or rely on God.
Two very different postures:
Relating to God would insinuate it’s remotely possible to match his righteousness and power.
Relying on God is about setting your intentions on accepting his gift of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
Do we think too highly of ourselves and try to relate to God as a peer or do we admit our limits and rely on God’s power?
Culture teaches that we can achieve, appear, and act like a god. God teaches that he is the giver of all gifts, which include the skills and passion it takes to reach our highest potential.
Does God want you to be successful? You bet. Recognizing that God made each of us with special talents, and the ability to use them for his glory, is the first step to accepting your place in the world.
Reflect on these verses for a second:
“Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
“For to everyone who has been wise with their talents more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29
“Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats be overflowing with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
We can (and should) have big dreams and work really (really) hard for them. My position here is not to enable laziness or justify passivity.
My position, rather, is that you will burn out when you try to run your life on your own. Guaranteed. Every time. 100% chance of failure.
If you rely on your sinful, limited, wishy-washy, insecure self, you will miss the God orchestrated divine opportunities to let your passions shine.
Final Thoughts: Girl, You Have Limits. Accept Them.
I won’t beat a dead horse here, so let me wrap this up.
How can accepting your limits help you? Here is how it has helped me:
- Take the pressure off. You are not God. That’s really good news.
- My “weaknesses” are normal and I am not malfunctioning.
- I am allowed to say no.
- Mom guilt is less daunting because I’m not perfect.
- Not feeling bad about reaching a limit.
If we label our limits and accept them, we are empowered to live the fullest life possible within those guardrails.
And every once in a while, if we step outside the threshold, we can come back to reality and recharge our energy tank.
God is a generous God and has unlimited power. He never grows weary. And he delights in giving his children wings to fly like eagles.
“He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV
