There is just one thing wrong with the fantasy life we are being sold by modern marketers…it’s just not true. Over and over again, we keep running into the inconvenient fact that we have limits. People who make their living on the road tell you that the romance of travel is gone after the second or third trip. Air travel is just an expensive hassle now. And multi-tasking? Study after study shows us that human beings can only focus on one thing at a time. You can’t talk on the phone, write an email, answer an instant message and be part of a meeting all at the same time. At least, you can’t do it well and that may explain some of the embarrassing emails we have all sent!
On the other hand, the Bible begins by reminding us that human beings have limits. Instead of fighting against those limits, we should embrace them. We can work six days, but then we need to rest. Adam was given a garden, not the whole world. Moses was given the Ten Commandments – there are ten things we can’t do…and somehow, having these limits is one of the things that makes us human.
Limits make us focus. We have to focus our time on those things that matter because we only have so much time. We do first things first because we only have so much time. Limits make life precious and warn us not to squander the gift of life we have.
Today, spend a few minutes thinking about your limits. Where is the garden God has placed you in? What gifts has He given you? What things are you involved in that are not helpful–that waste time and life? It’s OK to let things go in order to focus on what is most important. Yes, we have limits and that’s good news. Embrace them. Limits make us human. Use these limits to help you focus on the life Christ has called you to live.
