Stop Living in Your Own Limitations

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22–24 (NLT)

We often make excuses for why we can’t change or why things aren’t happening for us. But, to a great degree, we live within the limitations we’ve set for ourselves.

We all have what I call an “internal thermostat”—a set point that represents what is normal to us. As an example, you have a level of closeness that you feel is normal in each of your relationships. If things start to feel distant, you’ll work to bring that close feeling back to normal, likely without even thinking about it—just as a heating system kicks in when the temperature drops below the thermostat setting.

This system works well if your normal is set at a good place, but if poor communication or conflict is normal in your relationships, you’ll need to change your perception of normal if you want things to improve.

Another way of saying this is you need to put on your new self—who the Word says you are in Christ. As you realize who you are and what you’re entitled to, it’s as if you’re reaching over to the thermostat of your mind to turn it to the right setting. This right setting causes you to begin to consistently create that new normal.

You can set your normal setting so you can stop living in the limitations you’ve set for yourself. Whether you want a better marriage, better finances or to get in better shape, your life will change as you adjust your normal!