Manage your weakness and make it your strength

Ultra-marathons tend to bring out the over sharer in me. In normal life I’m a fairly closed book, but Abby says I become “Tired Phil” who has a tendency to spout more freely than might usually be advisable. I don’t think I’m alone in this. During long events, the potent combination of physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, and a sympathetic ultra community means that runners feel more comfortable than normal exchanging intimate details with practical strangers.

So, here goes. Apologies in advance.

It’s often said that ultras are more of an eating contest than a running contest. I don’t mind this because I am generally really good at the eating - in almost any situation – and keeping it down. A fun fact about me that I'm too proud of is that I have never been sick.*

Whist eating is a strength, unfortunately mid-race digestion is a weakness. In fact, my stomach is the thing that causes me the most problems when racing. When you find yourself hours away from the nearest facilities and you are having a bad bowel day, it’s fair to say it’s not an enjoyable experience. I’ve become far too accustomed to the complex and time-consuming process of the “wild poo”. Having a few tummy issues might seem trivial (and gross) but problems with the gut are one of the biggest reasons for DNFs. If you can’t consume and digest food effectively, you can’t supply your muscles and organs with the energy they need to endure a sustained effort.

Why am I sharing this? (Seriously, why am I sharing this?).

Identifying a weakness is the first step to being able to manage it effectively. Instead of just wishing I was the sort of person who didn’t have stomach issues in a race, I have accepted it as a flaw and have put measures in place to prevent it from stopping me in my tracks. I now have a food regime in the weeks leading up to the race which prepares my body far more effectively for race days. I have considered, the type of food I eat during a race, the frequency with which I eat it, and the pace at which I run to allow for digestion. I now intentionally move a bit slower and eat a bit more in the early stages of a race. Fascinatingly, this has made me a faster runner, because my pacing over the whole of the race has been more consistent. By managing this weakness, it’s given me a new strength!

Paul opens up about one of his weaknesses in his second letter to the Corinthians:

“…in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” 2 Cor 12:7-8

Paul never identifies his mysterious “thorn in the flesh”, though many have speculated. What we do know is that it was persistent, unpleasant, and he would have preferred his life without it. We all have similar things to which we are vulnerable. I imagine as you read this that you are immediately aware of your own susceptibilities and temptations, which you may have wrestled with for years. Maybe it’s a propensity to self-medicate with food or alcohol? Maybe you harbour a constantly simmering temper? Maybe it’s the torment of lust and the temptation of pornography? Maybe it’s a crippling lack of self-worth?

Weakness isn't sin. Hoever, there vulnerabilities hold the potential to be stumbling blocks on our walk with God if we allow them to take root. So how do we respond? We can either give in to our weaknesses, allow them to define us and let tormenter lead us down a path of destruction (often the easy option). Or, as Paul wisely advises us, we can do the hard work of submitting our weaknesses to Christ and seeing what he can do with them:

“But [Jesus] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:9-10

Time and time again we see that God does his most incredible work through those who seemingly have the least to offer. In the upside-down kingdom of God, weakness becomes strength, vulnerability is power, submission is the route to glory. Jesus was quick to point out that he didn’t come for the healthy, those who believe they are strong, but the sick (Luke 5). He loves to take a humble and fragile offering, that which seems fatally flawed, and redeem it into something holy. It seems that more is possible when we simply accept our inability and instead place all of our trust in God’s capacity to renew and transform.

It’s reported that the pivotal moment’s in John Wimber’s ministry was when God said to him, “I’ve seen what you can do, John. Now let me show you what I can do.” Perhaps we might take the initiative and, like Moses, boldyask God,"now show me your glory" (Ex 33), that through our weakenss we migth see the fullness of God's glory released in our time.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t have some work to do. God never took Paul’s thorn away, and no doubt Paul had to continue to manage it to ensure that the devil didn’t get a foothold. Instead of just wishing we were the sorts of people who didn’t have these temptations to live with, we can be proactive about managing them effectively.

Some simple things you might consider:

Ask the Lord to daily sanctify you by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Avoid situations where temptation might be magnified (such as removing alcohol from the house, or setting appropriate internet security filters)
Adopt a brother or sister in Christ with whom you can be mutually accountable.

If we want to develop our Faith Endurance and be the sorts of disciples who are in the race until the very end, we cannot allow our weakenesses to provide a foothold for the enemy to put us our of the race. Instead we can turn them to our advantage.

Step one is recognising and acknowledging where we are vulnerable.

Step two is humbly submitting our weaknesses to Christ so his power can be revealed.

Step three is the ongoing work of practically managing our weaknesses day by day.

We should not fear our weankesses. In Christ, when we are weak, then we are strong.

*I have this valve...

This post is part of a series of short blogs titled Faith Endurance, based on a sermon series preached at St Peter’s Morley in Spring 2024. If you enjoyed this, subscribe (above on the left) to get notifications each time a new blog is released.