A Word from Pastor Lisa: Knowing Your Limits
13 We, however, will not boast beyond limits but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. 14 For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news[a] of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others, but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may proclaim the good news[b] in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s field.
– 2 Corinthians 10:13-16 (NRSVUE)
“I need to tell you something,” my 104-year-old Grandpa said to me in a serious tone. I leaned in a little closer. “I can’t do it like I used to a year ago. One hundred and four isn’t 103!”
We both sat back at laughed. “I’ll have to take your word for it, Grandpa!” I told him. Most of us will probably never reach that 104-year mile marker. But we recognize on a regular basis that our bodies, minds, and spirits have limitations. I recently told a friend that I wish I had the wisdom I do now in my 25-year-old body. I’m sure many of you feel the same way.
In Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, author Ruth Haley Barton says that at some point in time, we are brought face-to-face with our human limitations. For Moses, that happened when he was trying to sit as judge of all the people, which consumed him all day, every day. Thankfully, Jethro told him that this wasn’t good or sustainable for him or the people (Exodus 18). Moses was on the path to exhaustion because he had taken on too much. Jethro advised Moses to recruit other spiritual leaders who could handle the bulk of the cases so that he only heard the most complicated ones.
Likewise, the apostle Paul cautioned the Corinthians not to compare themselves to others or to measure themselves against others’ accomplishments. He instructed them to live within the limits of their lives and callings, just as he did: We, however, will not boast beyond limits but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you (2 Corinthians 10:13). Paul used the word “limits” three times in the passage above because he knew the boundaries of his calling. There were spheres of influence that were his and others that were not part of his responsibilities, unless and until God enlarged his field.
How do we live within the limits and possibilities of who we real are, right here and right now? Here are a few suggestions:
Unplug. Time off and vacation, of course, are privileges. But hopefully all of us can find time to leave cell phones off and tablets and laptops behind. Enjoy the presence of those around us. Get into nature. Celebrate the unwired person God has created you to be.
Practice Sabbath rest where you aren’t being productive, but you’re simply being fully present to God’s Holy Spirit. Enjoy God. Laugh. Play. Reconnect with friends and loved one. Rebel against a capitalist mindset that our value comes through productivity, not through our sacred worth as a child of God.
Ask for help. We aren’t meant to do life on our own. You don’t have to be super human. You have a wonderful church family that would love to support you. When you reach your limit, we’re here to offer additional assistance.
Summer in Bloomington means time to exhale collectively as the students depart and life assumes a different pace. I want to challenge us to practice living within our limits. Barton says there is a grace that comes when we seek to live into the limits of this life, “in this body, this community, this set of relationships, this financial situation, this place where we have been called by God to serve.” Knowing our limits and living within them is the way we embody the deepest gift of abundant life that God has given us.