Limiting God

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 
 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
So are My ways higher than your ways 
And My thoughts than your thoughts
Isaiah 55:8-9

Have you ever indirectly told God how to do His job by expecting Him to react or work in your life or in the lives of others in a way that you think would be best? Many Christians can get caught in the trap of thinking they “know how God works”, purely because they have been reading the Bible, going to church and generally being “good Christians”. By thinking in this precarious way, we are in fact limiting God, or “putting God in a box”, so to speak. This is simply and unconsciously done when we place a boundary around God and His capabilities, based on our own limited knowledge and expectations of how we think He should work in our lives.

Based on precedent experiences we can think of numerous scenarios of how we think God should work in our lives or perhaps even in the lives of others. But do we ever stop to contemplate that “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways? (Isaiah 55:8-9) He affirms this to us through His word to humble us, and remind us that we are merely His creation and His perfect ways for us are beyond our own understanding. St. Paul tells us clearly in Romans 9:20, “shall what is created question (or think they know better than) its creator?”

It seems silly to put limitations on the creator of all things. But when we think we've got God ‘figured out’, that’s essentially what we are doing. Through past experiences we liken God to somewhat of a formula of expectations; If I do this, then God will react this way, if I do that He will react that way. Or, God’s worked in this person’s life this way, so surely He will work in my life the same way. What many of us do not realise or sometimes forget is that God has an individual plan and purpose for each and every one of us. The closer we draw near to Him by faith and witness His presence through the Church, the more we are able to open up our hearts to accept His will for our life and our life’s purpose.

Through fear of the unknown however, or lack of faith, it’s easier for us to trust in our own knowledge and life experiences rather than to wholeheartedly trust that God can work in new, wondrous and incomprehensible ways for our betterment. This mindset simply reveals that our knowledge of God is limited, our faith and trust in Him is limited and we need to draw closer to Him by faith, in order to grow and overcome these fears and uncertainties.

If or when we realise that we are actually limiting God in our life, there is a way to overcome and grow from this. Firstly, we have assurance from His word that, “nothing is impossible with God” as the Archangel Gabriel stated to St Mary in Luke1:37. We should also know that when we seek Him through His word and His Church we can also begin to learn who this infinite, immeasurable being is. God is beyond time (omniscient), God is beyond strength (omnipotent) and God is everywhere (omnipresent)!!! He has a proven track record of working in the lives of faithful people over history by various and numerous means, to fulfil His individual will and purpose in them for His glory.

Imagine if the young Virgin Mary had trusted in her own knowledge, and not faithfully believed the incredible notion that she, a dedicated virgin would miraculously conceive the Messiah of the world through the Holy Spirit? (Luke 1:26-38)

Where would we stand today by means of salvation if her faith in God’s might and incomprehensible ways had failed?

Or Abraham, had he not trusted in God’s word and His sovereignty, would he have moved his entire family and livelihood away from the only country he had known, to travel to a foreign country at God’s first command? (Genesis 12:1-5) And would he have received the abundant blessings had he not willingly attempted to sacrifice his only promised son Isaac on the altar at God’s seemingly contradicting command? (Genesis 22:1-19)

Let us look to Church history and learn from St George the Martyr... If he had shrunk back in fear and denounced his faith in Christ instead of believing that this was God’s good and perfect will for him, would he have valiantly marched forward to receive the numerous tortures by his persecutors unto his ultimate death? Where would he have stood right now if he thought God could not possibly work through these painful circumstances? And what would be of the many people who took courage from his faith in that era of Christian persecution and even today?

Just like these faithful saints before us who rested in the assurance of God’s love and providence (Jeremiah 29:11-13), the Lord wants us to respond to Him in faith by means of trusting in His power, in His promises and in His purposes. It means we should be able to lay whatever problems we have faithfully at the altar, ready and willing to sacrifice them to Him and believe that His ways are best for us, even if we can’t see the final outcome yet. It means we confess to Him that we are weak, unworthy sinners who are in need of His perfect guidance and are willing to accept whatever challenges come our way, knowing that our good God can use them for our good when we trust Him. (Romans 8:28)

What personal knowledge or “wisdom” is limiting your faith on how God can work in your life? What is stopping you from surrendering all of your fears and uncertainties and giving them to the Almighty who cannot be contained or limited, but is the only one who can lead you onto the right path He knows is good for you? Proverbs 3:5-6

This Week's Song- Francesca Battistelli: I’m letting go