This mantra is one I have picked up during my life, and to be honest when I was young in life and ministry; I don't think I even knew what that meant. My scars and limps were few and far between, and the ones I did have were relatively insignificant. I had a fairly easy road. I lived in the blessing of praying parents and the graciousness of God. Maybe out of self-preservation and wanting people to follow me, I minimized the significance that a limp can hold. As time went on and life happened, I learned...never lose your limp. Scars and limps are battle wounds. Sometimes those represent battles that you've won and others that you didn't, but each blow brought a new perspective, a new lesson to lean on, and an additional place for compassion to draw from. Romans chapter 5 says, Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 Now, you need to consider the source of these words. The writer is Paul, a leader who experienced real suffering. He was stoned three times and left for dead, shipwrecked, beat, and thrown out of cities, and he is the one that is saying it's worth it. Suffering produces the character that you need in life. Spurgeon said it this way, "A Christian man should be willing to be tried; he should be pleased to let his religion be put to the test. 'There,' he says, 'hammer away if you like.' Martin Luther said, "Whatever virtues tribulation finds us in, it develops more fully. If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, irascible, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked, and irritable. On the other hand, if one is spiritual, strong, wise, pious, gentle, and humble, he will become more spiritual, powerful, wise, pious, gentle, and humble." Paul outlines the pathway to Christian maturity- perseverance, character, and hope. Each virtue builds on the other. Most believers want to develop character and have more hope, but these qualities spring out of perseverance, which comes through tribulation. We may wish to have better character and more hope without dealing with tribulation, but that isn't God's pattern and plan. Scars and limps are part of the process to bring us to maturity. Mandey and I have walked many difficult roads in life and ministry. It would be easy to allow frustration and hostility to grow and say, it's not supposed to be this way, or I thought being obedient to God's plan wouldn't hurt so much. Still, as my understanding grows and my grey hair increases, I see how God uses these defining moments to shape us into individuals that are ready for the next step in his plan. It's a "good hurt." That's a common phrase you hear in the gym. "Good hurt" is muscle soreness, fatigue, or weakness that you feel after you finish. It's a good hurt because you know that your workout is producing results. You realize you have torn the muscle fibers that are required to build muscle and see a difference. Without this "hurt," you will never achieve the results you desire. As I consider those with hurts, I can't help but remember Jacob in Genesis 32. It's the day that Jacob gets his limp. It's a day that changes his life forever. He is given a limp that will forever remind him of his struggle that night. Many leaders don't wear their battles as a limp, but rather as internal scars hidden from the world to see, but they are life-altering all the same. Limps can either frustrate our progress or serve as a reminder of what we have gained. We can live in the mindset that if this had never happened, we would have been better off, that someone else is responsible for our new reality. Or, we can let our limp remind us of what we gained that "day" or in that season. It was a blessing, a new name for Jacob, another step closer to the Abrahamic promise being fulfilled. For us, it can be the start of a new dream, a new level of compassion for others who will walk this road after us, or even a reminder of the consequences of disobedience; a reminder we may need in the future to continue to walk the path God has called us to. Now let me encourage some of you young leaders out there. You want to work with a leader that has seen it all and won't be surprised when the battle comes. Listen to their story closely, ask questions, and look for the limps. When challenges arise, it will be easier to understand the decisions they make. What's the greatest lesson you learned from a "limp" in your life?
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