I spent last weekend at Circuit of the Americas, a race track here in Austin, TX. A good friend was driving in the NASCAR Pit Boss 250. About the same time I’ve been enjoying a theology book, and its chapter about creation.
One statement that resonated with me from the book is “The doctrine of creation requires us to admit and accept our limits.”*
Well, of course, but now wait a minute. Admitting limits is easy. I’m not Superman. I’m not a very good mechanic or handyman. And when my younger racing friend was 5 years old, as a full grown man I couldn’t beat him in a go-cart race! (Humbling, but I explained to him that likely this very moment allowed him to shine and begin an exciting career in racing).
And you, well, you’re not the world’s most popular celebrity. You have only 24 hours in a day. You need water, food and rest in order to live. Limits. We can admit them.
But accepting them is a different story. As self-reliant individuals, who also compete with ourselves and others, we tend to resist any acceptance of limits. Don’t tell little Duncan that he can’t play shortstop some day for the Houston Astros. Reach for the stars and you can be whatever you want. If you dream it, you can do it. Bla, bla, bla.
This infinite and unlimited view of ourselves dishonors and mocks God. It ignores our limits, which are his design.
It actually was the very first sin in the Garden of Eden. The devil tempted Adam and Eve with the idea that they could exceed the human limits they were living with, and be like God.
They tried. They sinned. And now we live with their spiritual DNA and do the same thing. We like to exceed our limitations. We overwork. We overspend. We overemphasize how terrible people are. We overindulge in alcohol or screen time. We overcommit on our calendars.
As I was racing my friend (when he was 5 years old and I had been driving vehicles for decades), I found it a struggle to understand and accept my limits. Curves where I should have accelerated I was scared of speeding so I slowed down. And tighter turns where I should have slowed down, I accelerated and that one, final time I wiped out. And that was it.
Compare that to Circuit of the Americas, watching these NASCAR drivers maneuver skillfully around the 20 turns on the track, each of them a bit different. These drivers understand and accept their limits, with precision. They don’t take turn #1, a sharp turn at the end of a long straight track, at the same speed they’ve been traveling. They. Slow. Down. Every curve. Limits. Accepted.
This is what makes Circuit of the Americas such a thrilling place to watch a race. The drivers dealing with limits, honoring them with the wisdom of a pit stop, for example. They’re not invincible or infinite.
No, only God is unlimited and infinite in every way, “his paths beyond tracing out” (Romans 11:33). So our limits point us humbly to him. Our limits glorify his unlimited nature. Our limits make us say, “God, we need you. We need your salvation. Your healing. Your eternal life and unlimited grace.”
PRAYER: Dear God, you created the world, its creatures and all human beings with limits. I can struggle with limits, and need your saving help to understand them, accept them, and then worship you as the only unlimited being. I need you! Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Slow down, and use the PRAY acronym.
- Praise (tell God what you appreciate about his unlimited nature)
- Repent (tell God about your sins seeking to “unlimit” your limits, trust in his promises of truly unlimited forgiveness)
- Ask (go ahead, think big, or focus on a small detail, God wants to hear it all)
- Yield (talk to God about the next step after you say “Amen,” how you want faith to lead the way, how you are willing to be part of his answer and see it develop for your good)
*Quote taken from Paul David Tripp, Do You Believe? 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life, Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2021, p. 223.
