Breaking the Limits We Place on God

To limit means to confine within bounds or to restrain. Limitations are what you understand, what you can see, and what society has told you that you can and can’t do. As humans, we tend to respond to what we know and we discount what we have never experienced.

How do we put limitations on God? We limit Him when we don’t understand what He is doing so we give up or ignore what He said. But, do we need to understand? Or just believe? “Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?” Genesis‬ ‭18:11-12‬ ‭Did Abraham understand in Genesis that Sarah could have a child at 90 years old?? He did not understand how it could happen but he believed and had faith. When God seems to suggest the impossible, do we begin to doubt that He is limitless? God is looking for people like Abraham and Sarah who will believe beyond what our human limits can understand.

We limit God because we can’t see Him or what He is doing. We can’t see Him answering our prayer right away so we doubt He is doing anything. Moses couldn’t see Him but he saw an aspect of God so he continued, in faith, to listen. “This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years.” Acts‬ ‭7:35-39‬ ‭God is looking for people who see Him with their heart and believe even when they can’t see or understand.

We limit God by fearing He will ask us to do something out of our comfort zone. An angel told Mary she was with child and, not just any child, but the savior of the world. “Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Luke 1:34 NLT This was NOT in her comfort zone. God is looking for people who will find courage in Him and walk out of their comfort zone.

We limit Him when we pray but have a seed of doubt that He won’t answer. We have no expectation of Him answering and doing great things. We pray for rain and don’t put up our umbrella. We pray for a hole but don’t start digging. We pray to be rescued but wave them on by. God is looking for people who will pray AND believe and act in expectation.

We limit God by not believing He can make things happen – “you have never seen” so your mind limits that it CAN happen. The Israelites had never seen a sea part and people walk through. If Moses had told them what God was doing, they would not have believed him. Moses knew God would “make it happen.” How many times have you said “I have never seen that happen” or “that will never happen.” God is looking for people who will believe in things “unseen.”

We limit God by thinking that miracles are reserved for greater needs. A miracle is not always a big, bold “wake up” experience that surprises us. It’s not always supernatural. Sometimes it happens alone in the quiet. It doesn’t happen only for the greatest needs either. Sometimes the smallest need with an answer is enough confirmation that it could only have happened because of God. He is not limited by the size of the need. God is looking for people who believe in miracles, not “coincidences”, for needs big and small.

On the flip side, we learn from our limitations that God is God and we are not. We are limited but He is not. We learn that God has no limitations for working in our lives but He has limitations for protecting us-such as resting on the 7th day. What God says and does separates limits from limitlessness. What we call great and what God calls great are 2 different things. “Can you probe the limits of the Almighty??” Let God out of your box of limits!

Don’t put limits on your limitless God. He knows no boundaries when it comes to us. Stop limiting God! Simply say, “yes, God” even to the seemingly impossible. He is looking to break human limits that we have put on Him. And, by all means, if you see something in me that limits God, tell me!!