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One place you will see tons of people conquering their fears and things they never dreamed they could complete is at a Spartan Race. People of all races, ages, and sizes run several miles and complete a ton of obstacles in order to receive a medal and prove to themselves that they are in fact mentally, and physically strong enough to complete the challenge.

 

My favorite part of being a part of the Spartan race family is seeing total strangers be someone else’s biggest cheerleader/teammate. At my first race a stranger became my cheerleader/teammate and it’s my honor now to pay it forward and be that person for others.

 

Right before you get to the start line of a Spartan Race, each racer faces their first obstacle…a wall (it’s about 4ft high). My friend and I were standing right on the front side of the wall stretching when a visibly heavy set man (I’d say at least 300lbs)walks up to the wall sweating and looking defeated. I watched him look at the wall, turn around, look at the wall and just look like he was gonna quit before he even started. So I turned to him and said “you want some help over the wall? Come on.” motioning him towards the wall. And he looked at me with such honesty in his eyes and was like “I don’t wanna hurt you (but I would love help).” I told him he wouldn’t hurt me and got down in a squat position and told him to put his foot on my knee and hands on the wall. And again he said “I don’t wanna hurt you.” Then with extra sincerity in my eyes I assured him that he wouldn’t hurt me. The thigh is a strong muscle and he wouldn’t be on it for long and I knew that and there was no way that man was not getting over that wall if I had anything to say about it. It became my sole purpose in that moment.

 

So he stepped up onto my knee and starting pushing up on the wall, and not making much progress but visibly trying his absolute best. I think 3 or 4 other people came around and started pushing/pulling him over the wall and sure enough we got him over that wall! The moment he landed on his feet the entire crew of racers in the start line area (at least 150 people) had turned around and cheered and clapped so loud to celebrate his accomplishment. We were all genuinely excited for him to fight and make it over that wall! He realized he actually made it over that wall and there was such a bright smile on his face when he turned around to me, only for it to slightly drop with concern when he asked me if I was ok (which I assured him again that I was fine). I returned his smile and I gave him a high five and said “you made it.”

 

This was not the only time id experience this on that day. Several other people had the same fear (on a slightly higher wall but still same concept). One lady was helping a girl over a high 8ft wall and she stopped and looked at her and was like, “Now you listen to me. You put this foot here, that hand there, then you push up. YOU WILL NOT BREAK ME! I am strong and this is a very strong muscle so you just worry about you pushing up and over that wall OK?”

 

Sometimes I feel like God shouts at us like that sometimes “YOU WILL NOT BREAK ME!” We take inventory of our past failures and shortcomings and view our world and our relationship with Christ through that lens and it stops you, paralyzes you with fear doubt and regret for even trying. And rather than climbing that wall in front of you that you have been inherently well equipped to conquer (as a child and servant of a most high God), you step back at run the other direction.

 

But we have the best, most reliable and strongest person in the world as our cheerleader/teammate! A person who’s ready at command to take a knee and lift us up out of the jail in our minds and over the walls that look impossible to climb. A person who is well aware of the weight you carry but also aware of His strong foundation. Yes you will eventually have to learn to pull your own weight in the team, but your God is here for you to teach you how and help you be better. Looking back, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing for me to offer my knee up to 300lbs of body weight. I being human, technically am quite breakable. But man am I glad that I serve a God who isn’t.

 

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

 

So the next time you start taking inventory of how horrible you are, or how unqualified and unprepared you are to conquer the walls in your life, take that step of faith up into God’s hands and trust that He’s got you and that YOU WONT BREAK HIM! He is there for us whenever we need him and nothing is impossible with God on our side.

 

“Not gonna live by what I see. Not gonna live by what I feel. Deep down I know that you’re here with me. And I know that you can do anything! Through you I can do anything, I can do All things. Cause it’s you who gives me strength. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. Through you blind eyes are opened, strongholds are broken I am living by faith NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!” – Nothing is Impossible Planetshakers

– Destinee