About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

Victorious Limitations

Far too often as Christians we allow our human limitations to inhibit God's will from being successfully accomplished in and through our lives.  We may think we're not smart enough, too young, too old, physically challenged, or whatever.  There's no doubt that we have our various challenging limitations, but should our limitations limit us from serving Jesus as He expects?        

Moses, one of the most important Old Testament personalities seems to have had his limitations.  Exodus  6:30 reads:

"But Moses said to the LORD, 'Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?'"

The apostle Paul, one of the most important New Testament personalities seems to have had his limitations.  1 Corinthians 2:3 and 4 read: 

"I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

Despite his human limitations, God's grace enabled Paul to implement God's will in his life.  2 Corinthians 12:9 reads:

"But he [God] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'..."

Note the words "grace," "power," and "perfect" in the above verse.  In this instance, grace is defined as God's divine ability given to Paul whereby he could do what Jesus required of him.  The Greek word "dynamis," from which we derive our English word "dynamite," is translated as "power" in this verse.  The word "perfect" should be understood as "complete," as in, Paul would complete God's plan for his life.  Despite any human limitations, God's explosive ability enabled Paul to complete the ministry to which he had been appointed.  The same can be true with us.    

Sometimes our human strengths block the flow of God's strengths from being realized in our lives.  So, as 2 Corinthians 12:9 implies, our human limitations or weaknesses can be tools in the hand of God to accomplish His will in our lives.    I call that "victorious limitations."

Post Script

As I write this article in March, 2020, both Christians and the church are facing a time of weakness and limitation placed upon us by the Coronavirus. According to 2 Corinthians 12:9, this present time of limitation can be a tool in the hand of God.