Life Won’t Wait on the Wounded pt.2

Rich Wilkerson Jr.

As a leader you’re going to face pain. The question is not will life keep moving, but will you?Tweet: As a leader you’re going to face pain. The question is not will life keep moving, but will you? <a href=http://ctt.ec/Ve184+ " src="http://clicktotweet.com/img/bg-twitter.png" />

Sometimes You Have to Play Hurt

Wounded doesn’t mean dead. Sometimes the pain is so real, and the wound is so painful, it feels like we’ll never escape.  It feels like we’ll never smile again, never laugh again.  It feels like life as we knew it is over. I get it.  I’ve been there.  But having been there, let me assure you: Life isn’t over. 

Once, in my short-lived football career, I hurt my thumb pretty bad.  I was making a tackle, and somehow my hand got caught on a helmet.  The helmet went one way, I went the other way, and my thumb went with the helmet.  It didn’t quite come off, but man it sure felt like it did.  I grabbed it and popped it back into place.  I ran straight for the sidelines, certain I was finished for the game.  My whole hand was THROBBING.  I showed my coach and told him I couldn’t keep playing.  He grabbed my wrist to survey the damage, and then, instead of sending me to the trainer, he slapped my hand and yelled, “GET BACK ON THE FIELD, WILKERSON!”  I didn’t think there was any way I could keep playing, but I marched back out there and got into position.  The very next play, I intercepted a long pass. It was pretty much the highlight of my brilliant – but brief – football career.  Now, if I hadn’t stayed in the game, I would have missed out on my one highlight.  How many of us miss out on the highlights of our life because we let some aches and pains take us off the field.  Look friend, sometimes you have to play hurt.

Sometimes we think that our wounds are holding us back, but in reality the only thing stopping us is our own belief that the wound can hold us back. There is power in belief. We have to march ourselves back out onto the field of life, and get ready for the next play. You won’t feel like moving forward, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you have to do. You’ll be amazed where you can go if you believe you can get there.

Read pt.3

This is part two of a three part article from Rich Wilkerson Jr. It's not too late to hear Pastor Rich speak at Catalyst Dallas, register here!

Read pt.1

Login to join the conversation!