Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Train Your Weakness


I found myself floored, mid-stretch during a total body strengthening video. The trainer said, "Train your weakness," and I felt as if he shared an ancient secret with me.

For several weeks I have been struggling to keep my hip in place, it's painful, to say the least. I have tried chiropractic, ice and stretching with little to no relief.

This revelation to "train my weakness" was as much for my spirit as it was my body.

I have been leading an online Facebook group for 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs, it hit me this morning, after the workout video, we have been "training our weakness" for 69 days today. Eleven other ladies and I have committed to do little brave things every day to become "our bravest selves" and you know what it's working!

I find myself doing braver and braver things without thinking about them. While I'm training this weakness, I'm thinking about the weakness less and the source of my strength more. The result is doing brave things and doing them afraid, as Annie likes to say.

Whatever your battleground (or weakness for the sake of the post) is where you need strength. Of course, we start with looking to God and then allowing Him to help us train those areas. So, what does this look like in our day to day lives?

1. Recognize Your Weakness

Most of us are probably all too aware of what our weaknesses are, but don't let that stop you from looking a little closer. It may or not be what you think. I was surprised this morning how my body responded to this "training" and some of the weaknesses surprised me and how they relate to my hip discomfort was even more surprising.

For example, if your "weakness" is fear, you may be clear where it shows up, but it might surprise you to see how it affects other areas you weren't aware of.

If you don't know your weakness, ask God or a friend. Now that's brave!

2. Stop Coddling Your Weakness

Sometimes even after we see our weakness, we default to coddling it. We treat it tenderly, walk on eggshells or just plain baby it. We don't want to upset our weakness, oh no! We must get to a point where we are willing to stand up to our weakness or it will become our stronghold.

When my hip comes out of place it hurts, so you know what I have been doing?  Coddling it. Today that stops. I am going to strengthen it and everything around it so it can do what is supposed to do in my body.

In the past when I was afraid I would coddle it, nurse that fear and anxiety. Avoid those scary situations, so I wouldn't "feel" afraid. Not anymore. I'm doing it afraid and strengthening my courage!

3. Train Your Weakness

Start small. This is not a go big or go home moment.

I didn't push myself this morning. I did what I could and I already feel better. The trainer said to do this every other day for 30 days, that sounds doable to me. I can carve out that time for a month to "train my weakness", so my body will feel better and even function the way it supposed to. Ahem, my hip staying in place!

I tend to really exercise my strengths, but often overlook my weaknesses because of fear, denial or even laziness. It's hard, terrifying and sometimes even painful to work on your weaknesses, but the payoff is worth it!

4. Maintain Your Strength

Once you've "trained that weakness" don't hit cruise control. Check in every so often and see how you're doing. Are you still doing brave things or whatever your case may be? If there is any resistance, it's time to start training again.

If we will realistically check in with ourselves, our weakness will never return in the same way. Now, if we totally let ourselves go physically, emotionally or spiritually, there will come a time where we will be at square one again.

We have the God of the universe on our side and we know that His strength is always made perfect in our weakness. He has given us great authority in our own lives to "train these weaknesses" and make them obedient to Christ.

4. Tell Someone

Maintaining strength is easier in numbers. Tell someone. Make sure it's someone you trust and preferably someone who doesn't have the same weakness or did but overcame it. Ask them to hold you accountable as you defeat your weakness once and for all.

Remember, it's a healing process. These areas became weak from lack of use so it will take time to strengthen them once you start using them again.

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, He always has wisdom to give even in the middle of working out!

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