Oh The Limitations We Place On Ourselves
My family and I traveled back to Texas a few weeks ago to visit family. While we were there, I got the chance to work out with my husband, brother, and brother-in-law. I normally work out by myself, and don’t get me wrong…I like to go hard. However, it had been a while since I had worked out with people, much less brawny men. My limitations surfaced when they showed me what they were going to be doing, and hit the timer. While I most certainly finished last, I was so proud that at least I had completed it.
Then…while panting and shaking out my wobbly legs, they informed me that that was just the warm up. The real workout was still to come, and my jaw dropped. After feeling like I had already reached my limit, I attempted to keep going. And believe it or not, I actually finished. But I was basically worthless for the rest of the day, and extremely sore for the next several days. It was a wake up call to the fact that, while I felt like I had been doing hard workouts, that I was not testing myself to discover where my limitations were, and if they could be expanded or increased.
This single experience taught me two very important lessons. 1) – It is so important for me to always be testing my limits, surrounding myself with people who push me forward in life and who encourage me to grow or improve in so many areas. I will always have limits, but they don’t have to remain intact for the rest of my life. I can continue to push them further and further back as I face the challenges that come my way. The more willing I am to try again, the more surprised I will be at what life can look like.
2) – Having said that, it is also important for me to “recognize” my vast limitations as a child of God, and to actually embrace them instead of striving to disprove them. If I think that I can grow my own walk with the Lord and build His kingdom in my own strength, then I have believed some major lies. When I not only discover, but learn to accept my weaknesses, then “God” Himself can perfect His strength in my life (2 Cor. 12:9). When I give Him the freedom to be strong for me, then He can move mountains, not just barbells.