How Are You Handling Your Obstacles?
Roadblocks are a normal part of life. In a humorous anecdote, Pixar's 1988 film "A Bug's Life" depicts a leaf falling in the path of an ant train in which the shaken insects are instructed to "go AROUND the leaf." Obstacles can be helpful or crippling, depending on why they are there. They can train us to creatively search for alternative routes, or they can force us to live in opposition to our values.
Obstacles That Produce Healthy Outcomes
God has a unique way of placing challenges in our paths to help us grow. Staying in a routine can deepen our "rut" – we do the same thing(s) over and over again, entrenching ourselves in monotony. When our paradigm suddenly shifts, we have an opportunity to try something new, to engage our brains in creative alternatives. Many times, we find something better than what we've experienced before.
For example, parents know that children keep us young. They are always growing and changing; their growth and change requires that we grow and change. We have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with God because we understand His love, compassion, and goodwill toward us to a greater degree as we filter our experience with our child through the lens of His parenting us.
Maybe a dead-end job prods us to dust off and freshen up our resume, taking stock of our skills and strengths to look for something that better meets our needs, or teaches us new skills, or helps us grow in ways we never new we could.
In a biblical example of an obstacle of an unknown future, God called Abram out of the land of Ur to a place that He would show him (eventually landing his progeny in the Promised Land), Abram exercised greater faith and courage than staying in his homeland. His wife, Sarai also experienced a total life change by striking out on a pioneering adventure with her husband. Through the ups and downs of their journey of a lifetime, they became the parents of the promised child who would father the nation of Israel.
Even a closed door, or a "no" from God can give us clear direction. This obstacle isn't one we should break down or cross; it's an opportunity to pivot toward the better thing God has in store for us. When we learn to quiet our disappointment, instead becoming grateful for God's protection from an inferior choice, our "obstacles" work in our favor.
Obstacles That Warn Us Away From Unhealthy Outcomes
To walk in wisdom, we must learn to recognize which obstacles are "red flags". Many of us have simply worked on making our pigpens more comfortable rather than doing the hard work of change.
Proverbs 22:3 gives us helpful instruction for avoiding harmful obstacles:
"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."
One area in which we are tempted to negotiate obstacles instead of flee for safety is in toxic relationships. There are many reasons why (some of them quite innocent) we keep trying to navigate the obstacle:
In what areas might you be investing value where there is no return? Your time, energy, and resources are limited – where are you spending yourself?
Author, counselor, and speaker Henry Cloud helped me to recognize when it was time to stop accommodating unhelpful obstacles in his book Necessary Endings. Evaluating where my limited resources were being spent and making decisions on their value gave me the freedom to choose healthy, positive change or to "stop the bleeding" by letting go of unhelpful obstacles.
Make an appointment with yourself and God to periodically examine uncomfortable obstacles in your life and decide which ones are propelling you to good outcomes, and which need to be eliminated. God is ready and willing to direct your path!
Get your copy of Dr. Cloud's book HERE.
For free weekly articles in your email, click HERE. Your info will never be shared.
©2023 Julianne Knapp. First published 3.7.23
Obstacles That Produce Healthy Outcomes
God has a unique way of placing challenges in our paths to help us grow. Staying in a routine can deepen our "rut" – we do the same thing(s) over and over again, entrenching ourselves in monotony. When our paradigm suddenly shifts, we have an opportunity to try something new, to engage our brains in creative alternatives. Many times, we find something better than what we've experienced before.
For example, parents know that children keep us young. They are always growing and changing; their growth and change requires that we grow and change. We have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with God because we understand His love, compassion, and goodwill toward us to a greater degree as we filter our experience with our child through the lens of His parenting us.
Maybe a dead-end job prods us to dust off and freshen up our resume, taking stock of our skills and strengths to look for something that better meets our needs, or teaches us new skills, or helps us grow in ways we never new we could.
In a biblical example of an obstacle of an unknown future, God called Abram out of the land of Ur to a place that He would show him (eventually landing his progeny in the Promised Land), Abram exercised greater faith and courage than staying in his homeland. His wife, Sarai also experienced a total life change by striking out on a pioneering adventure with her husband. Through the ups and downs of their journey of a lifetime, they became the parents of the promised child who would father the nation of Israel.
Even a closed door, or a "no" from God can give us clear direction. This obstacle isn't one we should break down or cross; it's an opportunity to pivot toward the better thing God has in store for us. When we learn to quiet our disappointment, instead becoming grateful for God's protection from an inferior choice, our "obstacles" work in our favor.
Obstacles That Warn Us Away From Unhealthy Outcomes
To walk in wisdom, we must learn to recognize which obstacles are "red flags". Many of us have simply worked on making our pigpens more comfortable rather than doing the hard work of change.
Proverbs 22:3 gives us helpful instruction for avoiding harmful obstacles:
"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."
One area in which we are tempted to negotiate obstacles instead of flee for safety is in toxic relationships. There are many reasons why (some of them quite innocent) we keep trying to navigate the obstacle:
- we are loyal, committed people
- we are duped into thinking we have no choice
- our current level of pain hasn't exceeded the pain of change
- we fear the unknown
- we fear change
- we don't have a healthy support network
- we think that we can effect positive change by trying harder
- we want the best for the toxic person
- we feel hopeless and despairing
In what areas might you be investing value where there is no return? Your time, energy, and resources are limited – where are you spending yourself?
Author, counselor, and speaker Henry Cloud helped me to recognize when it was time to stop accommodating unhelpful obstacles in his book Necessary Endings. Evaluating where my limited resources were being spent and making decisions on their value gave me the freedom to choose healthy, positive change or to "stop the bleeding" by letting go of unhelpful obstacles.
Make an appointment with yourself and God to periodically examine uncomfortable obstacles in your life and decide which ones are propelling you to good outcomes, and which need to be eliminated. God is ready and willing to direct your path!
Get your copy of Dr. Cloud's book HERE.
For free weekly articles in your email, click HERE. Your info will never be shared.
©2023 Julianne Knapp. First published 3.7.23