Learning My Limits

In review of Psalm 119:96 it says, “I have learned that everything has limits” (Psalm 119:96a TEV).

Bottom Line:

Everything has limits, except your teachings

What this means to me:

I am learning that everything has limits, however your teachings are boundless.

Today’s passage comes from part of Psalm 119 were the psalmist, King David wrote to teach his young son Solomon the alphabet of the spiritual life.  In it he explains about his relationship with God. He says, your eternal word stands firm. Your faithfulness extends to every generation. Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans. If your instructions hadn't sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. I will never forget your commandments for by them you give life. I am yours; so rescue me! I work hard at obeying your commandments. Even though there are those who are against me, I will quietly keep my mind on your laws. Even perfection has its limits, but your commands don’t.

If I am to build margin so that I can do the work God wants for me to do, then I must remember that I am only human. I am not a god. I am not invincible. I’m just human and I have limits.

David mentions in Psalm 119:96, “I have learned that everything has limits” (TEV).

Interestingly enough what I’m learning is that God is the author of my limitations. He put them in place for my good. What I’m learning is that He does this because he loves me. So rather than me fighting my limits, I should just embrace and accept them.

I guess I’m guilty of not recognizing my limits. I often overestimate my abilities and underestimate the problems, and how much time it will take to do something. Our culture doesn’t help, because it's constantly telling me that “we can do, have and be all we want to be.”  However, I can only be all that God wants me to be, there are limits.

First, I have physical limitations.  For instance I can’t go for long periods without food, no matter how much I tell myself I can. Even positive thinking has it’s limits.

I have emotional limits. And these are much harder for me to judge. For instance how many people can I carry emotionally? How many problems of other people can I handle? Not as many as I probably think.

I have mental limits. Modern media is constantly pumping new information at me through radio, TV, and the internet. I’m mentally on tilt, unable to handle more.

I have time limits. No matter how many time management seminars I go to, I’m never going to have more than 24 hours in a day. And I need to sleep part of that time.

Wouldn’t it be good if we could get a warning when we reach our limits? Well, God has given me a warning system! It’s called pain. It’s called fatigue. It’s called stress. It’s called loss of joy. It’s called irritability. When I’m feeling any of these things, I’m on overload and have exceeded some kind of limit in my life.

I cannot just keep cramming my life full of things that are not important and do not help me accomplish my purpose. So today, I will ask God to give me the wisdom to recognize my limits and then build margin into my life so that I’m not living in overload.