have you come to the point in your life when you say, “GOD, i’m not going with my plan any more? i’m going totally with YOUr plan for my life. i don’t know what it is, but i’m already signing my name on the check saying, ‘yes, LORD. whatever YOU want to fill in is fine with me.’ ” that is surrendering your plans to GOD.
there is a quote from that great theologian clint eastwood. in the movie “dirty harry,” harry says, “a man’s got to know his limitations.” but since i’m a retired pastor i have to make it sound spiritual, and so, “blessed is the man who knows his limitations.”
humility is actually being in touch with your humanity. it’s not putting yourself down, laying it on and saying, “i’m nothing! i’m worthless!” it’s realizing that you’re both a bundle of strengths and weaknesses. it’s not denying your strengths; it’s being honest about your weaknesses.
pride is always based on a false evaluation of yourself. you narrow your field of reference so you can be a big fish in a little pond and you start thinking how great you are, and you haven’t taken the whole globe into perspective. pride is always based on a lie. it is a false evaluation of your own talents, your own ability and where you got it. everything you have, even your talent, is a gift from GOD. you don’t own it, you didn’t deserve it, you didn’t work for it, GOD gave it to you. you have nothing without GOD.
humility, on the other hand, is an accurate, unbiased, understanding of your strengths and your weaknesses. you realize that you have limitations. it starts with the truth.
so what is the truth about you? the bible says you’re infinitely loved by GOD, you’re gifted, and you’re deeply flawed. all three of those things are true. you’re very gifted, you’re deeply flawed, you are a sinner, as all of us are, and you are deeply loved because GOD’s love is not based on your performance.
so much of the stress in your life and in my life comes from doing things GOD never intended for us to do. so we make our plans. we say, “i can do more. i can achieve more. i can be more. i can have it all.” you cannot have it all. you have limits. so you have to recognize that. GOD would never ask you to do more than HE gives you the power, the energy and the time to do. which means this: if you’re constantly under stress, you are doing some things that GOD never intended for you to do and you’re being pushed by your own pride, not by GOD’s plan. you need to understand your limitations. you’re not GOD. you’re not even superman or superwoman. you have limits.
just a thought from the front porch…
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