limiting God

I used to love a billboard in south Jacksonville that belonged to a contractor. It had a picture of a home on it and it said, "Our only limitation is your imagination." I thought that was catchy and interesting. I also used to tell teenagers that the biggest limitations on God are our images of Him. We tend to put Him in a box and think we know what He can or will, and cannot do. We make huge mistakes when we think that way. But, in my recent studies of Paul's writings and elsewhere I see where there are some areas where we are limiting God. I do it quite regularly in my prayer life. We pray for things that are realistic rather than things that are out of our grasp, which is closer to where God is.
Well, in my findings there are 5 things that tend to limiit God a great deal that can be found in our everyday list of actions.
1. Comparisons - that's right we are limiting God when we are looking around at what is going on in other people's lives. Comparisons are the first stumbling block to completely losing our focus on God.
2. Complaints - after we are done with our comparisons we start to complain about what others have and what we don't have. Many times I find that I am completely content, happy with all areas and then I make a small comparison and boom, I am unhappy and discontent.
3. Coveting - after comparing and complaining, we start coveting. If we don't match up well in our comparison, and we get caught up in complaining about it, pretty soon we start wanting what others have for ourselves.
4. Compromising - this is the fourth step to completely losing our touch with God. We start compromising our beliefs and our actions to try and get to where the others are that we didn't compare well with.
5. Carnality - finally we become so carnal, we throw away our boundaries and restraint and soon we are so after whatever has sent us into panic mode that we cross every boundary, and lose our moral compass all in the name of getting what we want.
These are the five main things that cause us to lose our vision of God. Proverbs says that we without vision, we cast off all restraint. That is completely true, when we take our eyes off God we lose our vision, then we go through comparing, complaining, coveting, compromising and become carnal where we can no longer see God or His plans for us.
Thanks for reading and keep your eyes on God's work in your life and stop the moment you find yourself comparing. Have a great day!