Welcome to Day 12 of our 40-day countdown to Easter 2019! | Beyond Human Limits. One thing we can learn from reading the exchange between Jesus and the two thieves on the cross in Luke 23:39-43, is when life hits us with the worse it can conjure, we have the ability to surprise ourselves (and those watching) by reaching beyond human limits.
Taking the blame for crimes you did not commit, is reaching beyond human limits.
Choosing to hold your tongue when you have the right to defend yourself against insults, accusations and injustice, is reaching beyond human limits.
Giving help to others when help has not been given to you, is reaching beyond human limits.
If you have ever done any of this, you were reaching beyond human limits. You were stretching yourself beyond the common expectations of the status quo, choosing to be a contributor and not a consumer. Your commitment to fair-dealing and honesty allowed you to experience the joy that our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated on the cross. His sacrifice made it possible for all of mankind to enjoy the promise he made to the thief on the cross.
He said, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). This is an invitation to all who are willing to go beyond human expectations and experience the adventure of life on a higher plane, life in the Spirit!
Consider the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you will accept the invitation to reach beyond human limits, here are three things you can do to help others in spite of the mud life throws your way.
Help others release their yesterday. You can't change the past by living with regrets. It's a waste of time. Philippians 3:13-14 tells us to forget the past and press toward the future.
When others are hurting, give them comfort for today. Use your struggles to meet people in the pain of their "today" ... Your experiences give you the strength to comfort others in knowing "this too will pass".
Help others focus on the hope of tomorrow. Life in a cursed world, where there's sickness, disease, war and strife can be depressing. Just remind yourself and them, that "Heaven is better than Atlanta!" (or where ever you live) John 14:1-2 tells us that we should trust in God because when Jesus rose from the grave, he went to prepare a place for you and me, in heaven!
Now, that's how you live beyond human limits!
Gordon B. Hinckley, (author of "Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes"), put it this way, "The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served."
Let's pray...
Dear Father, I release my frustration and fears in exchange for the courage and victory You have given me to love others. Show me how to tap in to that deep reserve of honor, compassion and faith that Jesus showed us. My desire is to be more than a conqueror through Christ who gives me strength. I want to live well, in spite of disease, war, hatred and the hopelessness in the world. You have given me the promise of I John 4:4, that "...greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world".
Today, I hold on to that promise, and will use my life experiences, struggles, wins and losses, to help others win in life. Together, we will let go of the past, live strong in the present, focus on the hope of the future and know what it means to live beyond human limits. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
~Inspiring hope and seasoning faith, Pastor Sean