Society loves to put limitations on all of us, telling us what we can or cannot do based on how we look, the amount of education we have (or don’t have), our skin colour, accents, body size and the list could go on and on.
It gets to the point where most of us begin measuring our value and worth on these things. We use them to determine, before we have even tried, whether or not we will succeed. We place limitations on ourselves and allow thoughts such as these to guide our destiny:
Not many dark skinned people feature on television so I won’t go into the entertainment industry.
I don’t have enough money to make an application to that leading university or college.
I love fashion but I don’t have the right body type to pursue it.
Says who?
You and society, that’s who. But not God and never God.
God Doesn’t See Your Limitations
God does not see your limitations. They do not guide Him when He maps out your destiny. In fact, when you read the Word, you will realise that what matters most to God is your heart.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
If God looked at us the way we look at ourselves or the way society looks at us, a lot of the Bible’s heroes of faith would not have become heroes of faith. If you look carefully at all those that God chose to do great and mighty things, very few of them would have made it in a Hollywood movie or stepped foot on a runway or even been considered influencers in their societies.
But still they were chosen and not because of any natural gifts they possessed but because of their hearts. Hearts which were humble, ready to listen and ready to obey.
Moses, David, Paul, Esther, Rahab, Ruth these are just some of the people in the Word who we see listening to God’s voice, obeying Him, remaining humble and accomplishing great things.
Change Your Heart, Change Your Mind
Perhaps you’ve been looking to the wrong things to get a foot in the door of the spaces you want to enter. But what you really need to do is change the posture of your heart and renew your mind.
Romans 12:2 says:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)
Instead of conforming to society’s standards, have your mind renewed by God’s Word and learn His standards. Find out from Him what it takes to please Him and to be successful in Him.
You’ll realise, challenging and trying as it may sometimes be, meeting God’s standards leaves you with a lot more peace. Why is this? The Holy Spirit helps and enables you to meet God’s standards (Romans 8:4), whereas society doesn’t help you at all. It simply sets the bar and watches you strive and fall. So now, it’s time to take society’s limitations off.
It’s Time To Take the Limitations Off
It’s time to stop the I’m-not-enough and I-can’t-because mentality and start believing that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)
It’s not your intelligence that strengthens you or your beauty that strengthens you.
Neither is it your education that strengthens you or your wealth that strengthens you.
But Christ and Christ alone gives you the strength and the capability to accomplish what you desire, to the glory of His name. He alone will open the doors you want to step through. You just have to step back and let Him.
