Limitations

Limitations

MY QUESTION for GOD

How can my limitations actually help me as a leader?

A MOMENT with GOD

Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”

2 Chronicles 14:11

O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Acts 4:29-30

Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Exodus 4:10-12

As a kid, you may have dreamed of being able to fly or having X-ray vision, like Superman. As an adult, such fantasies remind you of your human limitations. The more you age, the more you begin to understand the limits of your body, as it becomes harder to do the things that once were easy—running, walking up the stairs, reading small print. You also begin to realize your emotional limitations. A traumatic event may paralyze you or knock you into a daze. Many times, difficult circumstances can drain you emotionally and cause depression, anxiety, or apathy. Throughout the Bible, when God’s people and their leaders suddenly realized their limitations, they responded immediately with earnest prayer and then trusted God to act on their behalf. In God’s unlimited knowledge, he created us with limitations, not to discourage us, but to help us realize our utter need for him. It is in weakness that God’s strength shines. Then when you accomplish something great despite your limitations, it is obvious that God is working through you, and others are led to give him the credit. Jesus tells us, “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). The next time life throws your limitations in your face, don’t become discouraged. Instead, see it as an opportunity for God’s power to defy your limitations, and then enjoy the divine moment of having him work through you to accomplish more than you ever could have dreamed.

DIVINE PROMISE

EACH TIME [THE LORD] SAID, “MY GRACE IS ALL YOU NEED. MY POWER WORKS BEST IN WEAKNESS.” SO NOW I AM GLAD TO BOAST ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST CAN WORK THROUGH ME.

2 Corinthians 12:9