We all have limits, and they fluctuate from day to day. One day we feel invincible. We perform well, with courage and strength. The next day, we feel fragile. We are drained, dull, and anxious. I used to think that my attitude could guarantee a high performance every day, but I realize now that each day, countless factors determine my limits. We do not know what our limits are until we go right up to the edge and realize that we are at the end, or perhaps we continue over that edge into the dark place of danger where we damage ourselves, need help, or have to make a hasty retreat. Adventurous types love going to that edge. It is a part of knowing yourself. Sometimes crossing the line is an act of faith. At other times it is an act of folly. When we overcome, there is a satisfaction that comes from discovering what you are capable of. It is often more than you ever imagined. But sometimes we think we are capable of more than what is possible on a given day. Those who climb mountains have tested their limits and experienced the elation of doing what they thought was impossible, but they have also been humbled and stopped by forces that they underestimated. The mountain clarifies the limits of our mortality and the demarcation that exists between what we can and cannot do.
As a person of faith, I push the limits. I claim Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Yet we are not invincible. We are finite. We experience God’s empowerment but we are not omnipotent.
