Befriend Your Limitations

Is it easy for you to tend to see your weaknesses in sport and in life solely as problems to be avoided? I’ve found this to be very true in the sports world.  As a lefty basketball player, I avoided dribbling with my right hand at all costs because I felt weak as a basketball player when I used it. I saw my limitation as something to be avoided.  And don’t get me started on the many times I see players that I coach avoid their weaknesses!

Jesus’ disciples during His ministry seemed to be no different.  A large crowd of 5,000 men (not including women and children), followed the disciples and Jesus after a long day of ministry and arrived hungry.  The disciples told Jesus: “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9)  They saw their limitations not as an opportunity to see God at work, but as a limitation that seemed to be a nuisance for them.  Thankfully, Jesus didn’t stop there.

In Luke 9:14-17, Jesus tells them to divide up the people and all of the people were fed with the fish and loaves and there were even leftovers! 

If we see our limitations as an opportunity to improve and see more of God’s Kingdom of love and abundance at work, then there will be a shift of befriending our limitations versus condemning them.  Limitations are not our enemies but opportunities!