Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.
Luke 3:23 NLT
This week, I enjoyed a podcast episode that talked about embracing your limits. Though this is an unpopular teaching in our culture of self-glorification, even within the church, it's an important virtue that God considers highly valuable.
The podcast helped me understand how Jesus embraced his limits. As today's focus verse notes, he was thirty years old when his public ministry debuted. Between the ages of twelve and thirty, we know virtually nothing about Jesus' life. Of course, Jesus knew he would only have about three years of ministry on this earth. Yet he embraced those limits because they were his Father's will.
This teaching has important application for us. Discontent is so common in our society, it's almost expected for us to complain about our limitations. Yet God worked so powerfully through Jesus in the limits of time and space, he changed the world forever. God will also work powerfully through your limits if you follow his will instead of your own.
Let's look at the possibilities within several common limits:
- You're young and inexperienced. Yet you have energy, passion and vision to inspire others.
- You are working from home rather than in an office, yet you have more time with your family.
- You're an empty nester, yet you have more available time to volunteer.
- You're financially strapped. Yet you have the opportunity to give gratitude in every situation and learn to live on a budget.
- Your health is declining, yet you have more time to pray and develop your relationship with God.
The examples could go on and on, because each situation of our lives contains limits. When we learn to see the unique opportunities in our limits, we can embrace them and be even more effective for the Lord's service.
Today, I encourage you to make a list of your limits. Whether they are related to age, finances, health, relationships, money, work, church or any other factor, get them all out on paper. Once they are in front of you, ask God to show you the hidden value inside each one.
Pray that he will help you focus on the positives and learn to embrace your limits rather than complain about them. By giving thanks for your limits and using them for good, you'll shine a unique light into your circles of influence.
Check out another post I wrote about embracing your limits HERE.
Finding Peace in God's Word
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