Limits Are A Blessing, Not A Curse

I have come to understand my
limits,
my deity,
I am limited in my
humanity,
boundaries you’ve created
boundaries you’ve created
boundaries you’ve created
boundaries you’ve created.

I have limited wisdom.
I do not understand
many things.
There are times when you leave me
confused.
I am regularly unprepared,
often surprised,
mystery after mystery
mystery after mystery
mystery after mystery
mystery after mystery.

So much of what you know
is unknown to me.
The beginning of my wisdom
begins with fearing you.
There is so much beyond my
knowing,
and if I have any wisdom it comes from
you.

I have limits of time.
I will never have ten days in a
week.
I will never be given 50 days in a
month.
I will never experience 500 days in a
year.
My time is bound by
morning and evening.
I have a past to look back on,
I have a fleeting present,
I have a future that awaits,
I have no escape from the ticking
clock,
moment after moment
moment after moment
moment after moment
moment after moment,
time marches on.
You have no such time
limits.
As the Lord over time,
you dwell in the eternal
now,
no past,
no present,
no future.
Bound by the limits of time,
my sabbath is you.

I have limits of power.
I am regularly confronted by my
weakness,
frailty of both body and soul,
limits of ability
limits of ability
limits of ability
limits of ability.

There are so many things that I cannot
do.
There are many things that are impossible for
me.
If I have any strength,
it has been poured into me by
you.
I humbly confess that I am a collection of
weaknesses,
held together by divine
grace.

I have limits of righteousness.
I have yet to have a perfect
day.
I have yet to have pure and unmixed
motives.
My moral track record is far from being
spotless.
My heart still tends to wander,
and when it does,
it takes my faculties with it.
If I have any righteousness,
my righteousness is
you.
I have committed myself to following you in
holiness,
but I regularly fall short of your holy
glory,
confession after confession
confession after confession
confession after confession
confession after confession.

I have come to understand that
my limits
are a blessing and not a curse.
It is my limits that drive me into your
arms of grace.
It is my limits that make me grateful for
you.
The awareness of my limits causes me to
remember you.
My limits expose the delusion of my
independence.
My limits work to silence my
boasting.
When I mourn my limits,
I end up celebrating you.
The inglorious reality of my
limits,
drives me to worship you for the glory of
your glory,
running again to you
running again to you
running again to you
running again to you.

It is my lack of hope in me
that leads me to hope in you.
I have come to understand my limits,
but I am not discouraged.
You meet me in my
foolishness.
You come near to me in my
sin.
You hold me up when I am
weak.
You gift me with sabbath after
sabbath.

My hope is in you.
My hope is in you.
My hope is in you.
My hope is in you.

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV)

God bless,

Paul David Tripp

Reflection Questions

1. We have a tendency to grieve our human limitations when we really should embrace them as opportunities to rely more on God. The next time you’re confronted with your own limitations, how can you better respond so that God can meet you in your weakness?

2. When was the last time you felt truly weak? Did it cause you to pray for God’s strength or did you simply try to muster your own strength?

3. What would you do if you had more hours in the day or more days in the week? The next time you feel the limitation of your time, remind yourself that God has no such limitations, and worship Him.

4. Your limitations are not your biggest problem, your delusions of strength are. How can you embrace your limits and seek God’s strength today?