The challenges of life rarely come in orderly fashion one after the other. In fact, we face many tests and have to grow in many areas at the same time. And we grow in maturity by learning to tackle multiple fronts simultaneously – not neglecting one as we work on the other.
Certainly, it’s nice when we can deal with one thing at a time. And there is wisdom in laying a strong foundation before adding something else to our plate.
For instance, generally speaking, it’s good to develop a solid sense of who we are before a life commitment in marriage. Marriage is hard enough. And when we don’t know who we are we make it that much more difficult.
But even here, our journey of becoming is truly a lifelong journey. And we shouldn’t expect perfection before entering into the deep waters of relationships.
We will have to continue discovering who we are even as we learn to navigate the challenges of life with others.
And this plays out in countless other ways.
Perhaps we have to build our careers and homes at the same time. Or figure out how to grow up sexually while also learning how to be a dad and better manage our money. Or maybe we’re faced with a hard season in marriage while still having to learn a new skill at work and foster meaningful friendships.
To be sure, life is messy and complex. And we often don’t have the luxury to put one area on hold while we focus on another.
It’s true we often spread ourselves too thin worrying about many different things. And there’s great benefit in learning to focus on the most important things.
But often this still leaves us fighting on multiple fronts.
And, in the end, we shortchange our growth and our impact when we refuse to accept this reality.
It’s not easy. But learn to accept and wholeheartedly engage the multiple fronts throughout your life and relationship. This sets you up for great success.
Photo by Jaime Spaniol on Unsplash
One Comment