Thinking about constraints

Why we need things to be hard

“You put that hold on wrong”, I said with a wink. “If you flipped it the right way, I could totally climb that wall.”

I was joking with a staff member at an indoor climbing gym because I was finding a specific rock wall difficult to climb. The response was brilliant:

If you’d like, I can just put a ladder up the wall to make it easier.

That quote perfectly illustrated for me something I’ve been thinking about: most of life has constraints, and — if we’re honest — it’s the constraints that give meaning, purpose, and direction.

A rock climbing wall with a ladder is pointless. The fun of rock climbing is that you might not be able to do it. There will be challenges that stress and stretch you, which makes topping the wall that much more satisfying.

Other examples:

• It’s the constraint of money, specifically not having enough, that initially caused me to do most of my own house projects. Which I found I actually enjoy, and doing so gives me some meaning and fulfillment. The benefit would not have come without the constraint.¹

• Part of my dad’s story of coming to faith in Jesus is that he ran into a physical constraint in college, an Atrial Fibrillation. That specific roadblock was one big reason he came to Christ. My father’s relationship with Jesus (which has a huge impact on my life) is related to a constraint.

I could give dozens of other examples that illustrate this next point:

God consistently works through constraints.

We often complain and squirm when things are not going our way. But almost always… actually, almost always… God is using those constraints to shape us towards the plans and purposes He has for us.

I see this all over Scripture as well:

• The constraint of persecution forced the early church out of Jerusalem and into reaching the Gentiles.

• The only time the people of Israel sought the Lord during their wanderings and in the time of the Judges was when they felt constrained by external pressures.

• Jesus, our Lord and Savior, constrained himself into human form so he could be our perfect example and sacrifice. (Check out Philippians 2:5-7!)

So if you’re feeling squeezed, pinched, or constrained in your life today, stop and ask God what he is doing through that constraint. It may not be immediately evident, but if you look back at your life, you should be able to see how God used a constraint to bring further ministry or a deeper spiritual walk.

Take heart that the momentary affliction you are going through will be overshadowed by what God is doing through it.

What about you? Do you have a story of a constraint that God worked out for good? Drop a comment and share the story.

I’ve been thinking about constraints because of a book I read: Inside the Box by David Epstein. You should be able to find it at your local library.

1. I wrote about this a little in The Progress Principle:

The Progress Principle