Posted in FAITH, SOUL FOOD, TRUST IN THE LORD, Uplifting Christ

Reach Beyond Your Limits (Part 2)

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us.”  (Ephesians 3:20, AMP)

cropped-eagle.jpgGod created you to live prosperous life. His purpose for sending Jesus wasn’t only for you to spend eternity with him but also for you to live as a royal son/daughter on earth. He has showered so much blessings upon your life that whatever you decide to do prospers.

God doesn’t set limits or boundaries for us; they are set by ourselves. We build boundaries through the process of socialisation and the environment within which we grow or learn. We set these mental imageries that keep us bound for many years, if not our entire years on earth.

Sometimes physical situation(s) like sicknesses, disabilities, skin diseases, poverty, etc create limits for people. It makes them believe that they can’t achieve greatness like anybody else.

No matter what the challenge might be (mental imageries or physical challenge), God has a way of making you live a life of purpose. He has destined you to succeed in whatever you choose or decide to do.

In 2 Kings 7, we read of four lepers who were outcast. They couldn’t go into the city because of their ailment. They weren’t recognised by people because they (people) believed nothing good could come from them. In those days, there was famine in the city that led to anthropophagy. The Word from God was that “Tomorrow about this time a [a]measure of finely-milled flour will sell for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria” But nobody knew how that was going to be possible.

What made the promise come to pass was that these four “good for nothing” lepers defeated their fears, overlooked their ailment and decided to match toward the enemy’s camp for food. Two things I want us to consider are:

  1. They had a need, or goal, or mission
  2. They faced insurmountable challenge

Before they could have food, they had to face the enemy. And facing the enemy meant that there were either going to live or die. They didn’t have weaponry to fight and besides they were only four. Yet they chose to do the ordinary by walking to the enemy’s camp.

The Bible says that “when they came to the edge of the camp, there was no one there. For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, and the sound of horses, the sound of a great army. They had said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come [and fight] against us.” So the Arameans set out and fled during the twilight, and left their tents, horses, and donkeys, even left the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives. v5-7.

When the lepers did the natural, God did the supernatural. When they did what they could, God did the extraordinary. It turned out that they achieved what they went for with less or no struggle. The greater part of the task was defeating their fears and deciding to take steps regardless of the outcome. I could imagine the kind of thoughts that ran through their minds as they walked towards the camp. But in the end, they became heroes of Samaria and God achieved His purpose through them.

Conclusion:

When you take a critical look at your life, what are the challenges or roadblocks that stand before you? Could it be that you want a college degree but you don’t have the funds? You may not have enough money to pay for the fees but the little you have can pay for the forms or application fees. Go ahead and apply believing that God would do the supernatural. If it is about work, keep sending CV and apply and trust that God has an angle along the path to help you. If it is about marriage, new business, new market you want to reach, ministry you want to start, book you want to write, whatever it is that you want to do, my questions are:

just-do-it-300x200
Photo courtesy: Center for Change

What ordinary thing can you do today?

What steps can you take today?

What phone call can you make today?

What letter can you write today?

Where can you walk or drive to today?

Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you don’t qualify for that. Remember what Apostle Paul said “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” (Philippians 4:13, AMP)

Note that these lepers didn’t have the Holy Spirit on the inside so imagine what you (having the Holy Spirit inside of you and Jesus interceding for you) can accomplish if only you could do the natural or ordinary? 

Posted in FAITH, SOUL FOOD, Uplifting Christ

Reach Beyond Your Limits (Part 1)

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] (Philippians 4:13, AMP)

eagleOne of the things we should do throughout the year is to step beyond our boundaries or limitations. We are made up of Body, Soul, and Spirit. And when God created us, He deposited in us everything we would ever need to achieve, create, or make whatever we set our mind on to do on earth.

Our Spirit interacts with God, Who through the Holy Spirit guides us on what to do, how to do, and when to do. He created us with limitless possibilities so that we can design and bring into reality whatever we can imagine.  That is God created us to function like Him.

However, the Body interacts with the outside world which has been polluted (with lies and deceptions) by Satan and his demons. The enemy tries to use our physical situation(s) to create a blockade to prevent us from achieving what we desire in life. It’s like keeping a cat or dog in a box and making it believe that it can’t jump out.

Some of us, unfortunately, have allowed the enemy to keep them in a box for so long; He has created a boundary and programmed them to believe that they couldn’t step beyond the boundaries. He uses fear, among other things, to keep them from reaching their full potentials.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines limitation as “Something (such as a lack of ability or strength) that controls what a person is able to do”.

What is your boundary?

What limits have you set for yourself, or what have you made yourself believe that you can’t do?

It could be the book you want to write, or a trip you want to embark on, or some career development(s) you want do, or a new venture you want to explore, or a business idea you want to start, or a project or contract you want to tender for.

What is/are limiting you from moving forward?

As you ponder on the above question and make note/list, I will share with you (in subsequent posts) stories about people who had every reason to give up but chose to reach or move beyond the barriers that were before them. I believe their stories will stir you up, in order for you to take bold steps of faith to achieve what God has deposited in your spirit this year and beyond.