We all have certain limitations in our lives that are keeping us from enjoying the promises of God. The Lord has promised us a full and abundant life.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.“
The bible is full of God’s promises on how pleased he is on giving us a full and happy life. Our God is a generous God and He delights in our well-being. He wants the best for us and He would gladly and generously give us everything that He wills for us.
BUT, we seem to have always fallen short to living that full and abundant life that the Lord has promised us.
Understand that our God is a God of no limits. He is so big that he contains everything in the palm of His hands. He has no shortcomings. He cannot be extinguished. He is the beginning and the end, but He also has no beginning and no end. He is endless. He is infinite. He is timeless so He is never time-bound.
Everything that keeps us from achieving our purpose, and anything that keeps us from using our potential and stopping us from living a full and abundant life comes from ourselves alone, thus it is also us who can break and overcome the limitations. God can surely help us in breaking the chains of limitations in our lives but the decision to choose to break them starts in us.
Here are a few things that I believe is limiting us to live God’s promises:
SIN
Colossians 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Psalms 119:133 “Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.”
God hates sin. Sin separates us from God. God is holy and perfect and our sinfulness discredits us from going to Him, but because of His perfect love for us, He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ so that in Him we will be made righteous. If we continue sinning and living a life of sin, we cannot claim God’s perfect and holy promises for our lives. Sin is one thing that limits us from God’s perfect will for us.
FEAR AND DOUBTS
James 1:6 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
We are called to live by faith and not by sight. If we get distracted and discouraged with the things of this world, we are wasting our time. We should always keep our eyes on what is unseen, on God’s promises and keep that faith high all times because faith enables us to experience God’s miracles. Fear and doubts are like seeds planted in our hearts and when we entertain these thoughts, we are grooming these to grow. This does not please the Lord. Faith pleases him so when faced with challenges and trials, take them as an opportunity to exercise your faith and please the Lord.
MOTIVES
Proverbs 21: 2 “People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
God looks at our hearts in whatever we do. He is not interested in the output or the finished product, He is interested in our hearts, our motives on why we do what we do. We are ought to do everything out of love. Our hearts are deceptive, when our hearts are clouded with selfish interest and vain ambitions, we are slowly taking the path that corrupts our intentions. In everything that we do, we should do it out of the purest and most genuine intention to serve and save others. If we fail in this area, I believe we are working in vain and we will not be able to enjoy God’s perfect will for us.
LIFESTYLE
Proverbs 10: 9 “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”
Romans 12: 2 “ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are given this life to fulfill our purpose. We are created for a purpose. We ought to live our lives in accordance with our purpose. Our purpose is solely found in God alone. Living life can be very challenging in these very changing world. But as believers of Christ, we have one standard that will never change and that is Jesus Christ. We should live our lives right before Him. We are put in this world not to embrace the standards of this world but to be the salt and light in this bland and dark world. Living right enables us to hear clearly from the Lord. A godly lifestyle can bring us closer to God’s promises in our lives.
CHARACTER
Proverbs 21: 3 “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
i>Proversb 11:3 “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Character is one of the most important thing that we should always try to examine. Our character can either make or break our belief system. Our character reflects what kind of God we are serving. God is our potter and we are the clay, He continues to mold us and shape our character until we become the person He intends us to be. Life is a character forming agenda, and as follower of Christ, we should always make it our goal to be more like Him as we age in this life. Our character is a vital key in enjoying God’s promises.
These chains of limitations are not there to stop us from achieving and enjoying God’s perfect will. These chains are there for us to break and overcome. Jesus Christ has already overcome this world through the cross. And as we follow Him genuinely, we will also be able to get the strength and courage to overcome these limitations and soak in God’s promises. These chains of limitations shouldn’t hinder us, yes maybe it could slow down our pace, but these should never ever hinder us from pressing on and running towards our Prize and Goal which is in Christ Jesus.