Preserved by Purpose: Taking the Limits off of God

These words from an Israel Houghton song point to an aspect of living a Christian life that can sometimes be difficult.  As Christians, we believe God but find it hard to take the limits off of Him to do “exceedingly and abundantly” as Ephesians 3:20 asks. How do you take the limits off of God who is beyond space or time?  You have to first acknowledge that you’ve put limits on Him not by a lack of faith but by having narrow faith and low expectations.

There have been times in my life when I found myself proudly proclaiming freedom as a Christian but living with low expectations of God.  And lately, I’ve had conversations with friends who have the same problem.  For example, one friend shared how excited she was to start a business.  She knew that she had exercised great faith by starting the business.  However, now that she’d made such a big step of faith, she found herself dealing with the fears and uncertainty of what to expect in the future.  As a result, she was struggling with the low expectations that she’d set.  Even though she’d dreamed big by starting the business in the first place, she was uncomfortable as she felt pulled to dream even bigger.  And that’s where she was stuck. I knew how she felt because I’d been there before myself many times.  

For example, when I was looking to purchase a home over a decade ago, I started looking at homes that were 5 years old or less. After not having much luck, I talked to my real estate agent about how difference in price it would be to have a home built. After looking into it, I was surprised to learn that it was cheaper to have the house built. In the end, I had the house built just like I wanted it and learned to trust God in a totally new way.   

Taking the limits off of God is not about being greedy. It’s about realizing that the same God who blessed you with $10 also can bless you with $1,000.  We just have to have faith to boldly go to Him and ask for the greater blessing.  I’ve often struggled with asking God for more in certain areas of my life because I felt like I was being selfish. However, God had to remind me that he had been waiting to give me the greater blessings. God is waiting to bless us and won’t force us to take the “limitless” blessing if we don’t ask for it. But he’s more than happy to give that limitless blessing when we take the limits off and trust him without limitations.

Shewanda Riley (Aunt Wanda), PhD, is a Fort Worth-based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”   Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.  You can also listen to her podcast at www.chocolateauntiepodcast.com.