When we think about the phrase “the glass ceiling”, we are reminded of the limited point of view, experience, expertise, or restrictiveness that comes with reaching our highest heights or greatest potential. The glass ceiling, metaphorically speaking, has represented reaching the pinnacle, the highest point of something. We strive to reach beyond that point, breaking through the glass ceiling, to go above and beyond societal and social standards of living.

As I grow in Christ, I’m learning that the more I learn, the more He expects. The more He expects, the more I must give up those things that easily beset me. The more I give up those things, the more I am able to move higher and higher in God. And even in moving higher, I must give up even more.

Mark 8:34 (amplified)

And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].

There is no such thing as a perfect Christian; even those of us who live so-called righteous lives fall short in some area. Despite our short comings, God graces us with blessing we don’t deserve and opportunities that we are sometimes not qualified to have. He loves us so much that He’ll give us the greatest desires of our hearts even when we haven’t earned them or deserve them. He’ll allow us to be blessed beyond measure despite our sinful ways, our shortcomings, or the numerous times we’ve ignored His call to go higher.

We know our God to be merciful, gracious. He gave us his only son for our sake even when we were undeserving. He’ll continue to do it over and over and over and over….

But even God has a glass ceiling.

There will come a point where we will reach our limits in his grace and mercy. We’ll bump our heads on His “ceiling” because we’ve reached our greatest potential in this current walk. We will finally max out on the current mercy and grace He allots us despite ourselves.

If you plan to go higher, your must lay down your life (your will, your way, your sin), pick up your cross (His will, His way, His sinless life) and follow him.

Easier said than done, I know.

But…

We are limited by our own refusal to live a righteous life for God. We stifle God’s ability to continue to bless us on a consistent basis because we desire our own will over His. God, in all his sovereignty cannot and will not dwell (versus visit, which is momentarily) in a place where sin/death is prevalent.

It’s a hard gospel, but its the truth.

You want to go higher in God? You want to not have a fly-by-night experience with Him? Remove the “ceiling” of sin… take the roof off this mutha by no longer excusing our short comings with sub par excuses like “the devil made me do it,” “I can’t help myself,” and my absolute favorite “what had happened was…”

I speak from a place of familiarity; at the end of last year, I was involved in a relationship that was operating in (quite well, I may add) some *clears throat* stuff. I knew that God was calling me to a higher place in Him. He was showing me things, revealing parts of my purpose to me–but every time He showed me a piece, it seemed to be so far out of reach. Not because it was unattainable or that it was even out of season, it was because my sin was limiting God’s ability to release that part to me. In order for me to walk into that part of my destiny, I had to let go of the thing (or person) that so easily beset me. 

I laid down my “life” (that relationship) and picked up my “cross” (a total committment to God’s plan and his righteousness) and haven’t looked back. It was hard–when the text messages rolled through and the when hitting the “ignore” button wasn’t enough to keep me away–but the end reward has been so much greater than anything I could have gained from remaining in disobedience.

Breaking through God’s “ceiling” is my goal. I’ve shattered it into pieces in the last three months, but there are some jagged pieces still hanging around that I’m working on knocking out through obedience to Him. We push to break through the “ceiling” at work, in our relationships, etc. We will change our ways, our hair, our weight, get more education, lay aside our hood ways just to break through society’s “ceiling”. What are you willing to change to get through God’s?

I want the limits off, don’t you?

On the Chase,

Alisha L.