Beyond Your Limits:

Note: Terry Harris submitted this posting so we will take a step out of the "Beatitudes" for a day or so. I believe though, as you read, you will see the "beatitudes" throughout this posting as well. We will pick up where we left off in the “beatitudes” in a few days. - Mark Wallace

Beyond Your Limits:

Have you had the experience of being pushed beyond your limits?

I don’t mean, being pushed as hard as you THOUGHT you could go. I mean, reaching your highest spiritual, mental or physical capacity and then being required to do more and then discovering that you could.

Another way to say it is:

Have you ever gone beyond your highest expectations and then discovered that you had more to give?

I have had the blessing of this experience in my life.

Eric Haughton pushed me beyond my highest expectations. The timing on his entering my life was perfect. I had just been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and it was predicted, I would, never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school.

While some professionals were recommending that I be placed in an institution, Eric, an education professional, was recommending that I learn to read four hundred words per minute. After a lot of hard work, I did.

While some people may have wanted me to adopt a life of ease and comfort, Eric was recommending that I do intense writing exercises, which eventually gave me the freedom to write my name and claim my identity. While others didn’t know where to put me, Eric taught me habits that eventually lead to a University education. While some may have expected me to be a vegetable, Eric fully expected that I would learn to ski downhill using modified equipment. He also expected that I would learn to stand up for myself and speak the truth, as I understood it with boldness.

After being a Christian for over thirty years, I am quite certain that the body of Christ, at least in the west, is in desperate need of people like Eric. Where are the men and women who are willing to push themselves beyond their highest expectations? When are we going to expect a little bit more out of ourselves and a little bit more out of God?

The problem as I see it, is that so many of us have grown up under legalistic Christian backgrounds, that we interpret any push to grow up or do something as a, “quenching of the spirit.” Or, we may call it, “an attack of Satan.” Such mindsets make “discipline,” “perseverance” and “long suffering” dirty words.

Moreover we disguise apathy and laziness in Chritianieze. For example, prisoner’s need visiting, a neighbor needs a lawn mowed, the bible needs to be studied or a situation needs fervent prayer. Our response often is: “I don’t feel called to that,” or, “I’ll pray about doing that,” or, “God bless you as you do that.”

Let’s be honest. What we often really mean is: “that scares me,” “I’m too tired,” or, “that pushes me too far.” We may even say, “I’m wounded” or, “I’m not healed up yet.”
Obviously people should not spend a long time operating outside of their gifting, unless God is dealing with them on a character issue that this work or task will expose and allow him to deal with. There are also times of refreshment that we all need. But much of the time what we are doing is making excuses and saying, “don’t push me.”

But when was the last time we really did a gut check to determine whether we really aren’t called to this or that, versus the possibility that we are just a bunch of wimps? What criteria are we using to determine our calling? For many of us, if is within our comfort level, it’s in, if it pushes us too far, it’s out. Is that biblical? When are we going to get radical about growing up?

Will the Eric Haughton’s in the body of Christ please stand up?

Will they meet us at the perimeter of our comfort zone and lead us from there?

The expansion of God’s Kingdom on earth depends on it.



Terry Harris