We hate to be hampered by anything.
Injury, illness, weather, prerequisites, etc. They all frustrate us.
And they frustrate us because we want to know how we truly match up…today. With all things being equal, we want to know how good we really are. We want any victory we achieve to be absent any caveats. Our minds long for black and white. For both purity and parity.
Yet this idealistic longing is hardly representative of reality. Reality is, and always will be, messy. Ergo, limitations will always be present.
But limitations are not the enemy. For limitations are what compel us to connect with others. Were we wholly self-sufficient (as we all secretly aspire to be) we would have no need to reach out or pair up. Instead, we eventually (or in some cases readily) discover ourselves to be lacking and/or incomplete across a myriad of categories. This realization, paired with our ego, drives us to reach external so we might correct said deficiencies. This external reach manifests in the consumption of books and courses, but also connections to people and the divine. For it is only when we surrender our absolute reliance on ourselves and accept our need for assistance that we can effectively grasp the wisdom and growth we require.
“Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size -abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
Paul captures two important aspects of his response to limitations worthy of emulation: attitude and posture. For his attitude is not one of defeat and resignation, but of positivity and hope. And his posture is not about maintaining appearances, but accepting his insufficiency and seeking assistance. In doing so, he is able to rapidly tap into wisdom and power beyond our himself.
Maybe it is time we too change our perspective on limitations. For if they are not impedances, but forcing functions that drive us to even greater heights, our disdain is hardly warranted. As counter-intuitive as it may appear on the surface, discovering limitations should evoke the same same good cheer in us as it did in Paul. For we now know exactly where we need to focus our connections and ask for intercession.