Limitations - Part Five

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“Outside Limitations”

Once we’ve conquered our “self-set limitations”, we move on to overcome every “outside limitation.” I’m speaking of the limits you face based on outside influences, such as other people’s opinions of you, or circumstances beyond your control.

We’ve all had people speak negative words over our life or situation at one time or another. It’s very important when this happens that we learn to accept the good and reject the bad, even though that’s easier said than done.

I’m sure none of us would knowingly set out to crush someone’s destiny, and limit a child’s future. That would be cruel. Yet, too many times, adults make a comment to a kid that immediately begins to set limits, which if not tossed out, will become a part of that child’s belief system. For example, a parent might say “you’re too small to try out for the football team, you’ll get hurt”. Or a misguided teacher could make a comment like “your grades aren’t good enough to go to college, maybe you should focus on working with your hands”. Before you know it, this child is sitting on the bleachers watching a game he wanted to play, and grows up to work as a construction worker, when he really wanted to be an architect. Maybe that sounds like a stretch, but I promise you, we have NO idea how many careless comments have wounded people who weren’t yet strong enough in their own self-esteem to say “I’m not going to listen to that negativity”.

I love the story of Gideon in the Bible because it gives me such hope. I can so relate to Gideon’s need to “set a fleece” before the Lord so he could make sure he was hearing correctly. The Lord came to him and called him a “mighty man of valor”. Yet Gideon’s own opinion of himself, no doubt influenced by others, was that he was the “least of the least”. Yet if you know the story, he went on to be exactly what God called him to be. He didn’t limit himself to his current status, or the lack of men he had to fight with, but pressed on to victory.

Sometimes it may not be other people, but circumstances, that are limiting your success. Take the stories of David and Joseph. Both men had a destiny revealed concerning them (one in a dream, and one by a prophet). Yet, the events that followed had them going in the exact opposite direction from their dream (Joseph in jail, falsely accused, and David hiding out in a cave, being pursued by men who wanted to kill him). Yet neither gave up hope in God’s unlimited power to accomplish what He promised.

You can NOT let other people or your current situation limit you from becoming who God has ordained for you to be. Sometimes the only thing you can do is just persevere and keep believing the Word of the Lord. Don’t lose heart, and you will see that thing you desire come to pass.

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