Limits
Humility is recognizing, admitting, and embracing my limits. Moreover, it is understanding what I don’t know and knowing who to go to and where to go to increase my knowledge base and capacity. But, we often pretend we are more exceptional and more skilled than we really are, and that we really don’t have limits or need anybody else to help us. We want to appear smarter, more well-read and well-informed than everybody else. We spend time posing, managing an image for people we think are important, wealthy, or well connected. We attempt to impress people with our capacity to know and do. This is far from embracing our limits. When we fail to recognize and embrace our limits, we run the risk of delusional living, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, and we limit God’s promotion. I am learning to recognize, admit and embrace that:
I am not a messiah
I can’t and won’t save everybody
I can’t and won’t be at every meeting
I can’t and won’t meet everybody’s needs
I can’t and won’t please everybody
I can’t and won’t accept every speaking engagement
I won’t have all the right answers
I can’t and won’t fix every relational/marital problem
I can’t and won’t say yes to everybody and everything
I fail often and make many mistakes
I overcommit myself way too much
There is not enough space to list the rest of my limitations, but trust me, there are many more.
If humility is recognizing, admitting and embracing my limits, then pride is the reluctance and refusal to recognize, admit and embrace my limits. This type of pride is never good and always precedes painful and sometimes public failure. I have had my share of these moments. Every day I am asking our heavenly Father to teach me what it means to recognize, accept and embrace my limitations.
What about you? What are some limits you have refused to recognize, admit and embrace? Which ones will you begin admitting to God and others?
Popularity: 24% [?]
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
This article has certainly stated truth. I have experienced it first and second hand – my husband has lived delusionally for years, unwilling to recognize, admit and embrace his limitations. Nor will he seek God in His word, or counsel from anyone. Therefore, I can attest to the truth of what is written here – that that kind of pride will always precede painful and sometimes public failure. We are in the midst of a very painful and public failure right now – sometimes I think it is more than we can bear. Yet I know God is faithful and will make us more than conquerors . . . after we have suffered awhile.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Beverly, I will be praying for you and your family. Sometimes we have to hit our heads against the brick wall ten times before we understand that it's not moving. Our decisions today determine our destination tomorrow. I sent you and email, asking specifically how I can pray for your family. I look forward to hearing from you.