Sticking Points. Every powerlifter has them. It’s the place in the lift where the weight feels unbearably heavy and you question your strength. It’s when you’re faced with a choice: give up, or keep fighting.
For example, my sticking point in the deadlift is at my shins. Experience has taught me that if the bar moves off the ground and I pull it past my shins, I can stand up with it. But I know a struggle is ahead if it hits resistance at my shins. My mind hesitates. Can I power through? It won’t be easy, but I believe it’s possible.
Overcoming Sticking Points
Who are you when you hit a sticking point? What goes through your head when you’re faced with a fight? Overcoming sticking points isn’t about brute strength alone. It’s about the courage to approach the same obstacle repeatedly, believing that one day you’ll find a way through. Sometimes, in lifting, courage looks like discovering a new technique, changing a mental cue, or adjusting your stance slightly. Other times, it’s simply showing up and trying again, even after failing.
For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Mark 5:28 NLT
For She Thought
For twelve years, she tried everything, but nothing worked. Her sticking point wasn’t only her bleeding—it was the shame of being ostracized, and the exhaustive search for healing.
But then she heard about Jesus. Hope renewed, she found the courage to push through the crowd to reach out to Him. At her sticking point, her mindset was revealed. She thought that touching the hem of His garment would be the answer. And when she touched Him, immediately healing came.
A sticking point is rarely the end of the story. It’s a threshold to what’s possible. Like the woman, we must push forward in faith, keep believing when resistance feels overwhelming, and trust God’s power to meet us right in the most challenging moments. We can’t let resistance convince us it’s the end. It’s simply a doorway to the hem of His garment.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder your sticking points as you reach out to Him. And for this week’s screensaver click here!