Athlete Identity Crisis: 30 Days to Understanding Your Identity in ChristSample

Strength from Weakness

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

We’ve all heard that at some point in our lives, right? We’re taught from a young age that there is no competitive advantage for weakness. We’re taught to hide our weaknesses—and to find weakness in our opponents so we can exploit it.

Our sports culture often equates weakness with failure, but the biblical narrative offers a countercultural view: we are actually strongest when we embrace our weakness. This can be hard and intimidating. If we’re being honest, it’s also a little confusing! It almost feels like a coach telling you that playing with your non-dominant hand is going to give you an advantage.

The Apostle Paul can help coach us on what this looks like. Instead of denying his weaknesses, he embraced them because they became opportunities for God’s power to shine. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, he even went as far as saying that he would brag about his weaknesses because it would show the power of Christ. Think about that: the places you feel inadequate may actually be the very places where God wants to display His strength. It’s one of the primary ways God gets glory in and through us. He steps up when we can’t do it on our own.

On the field or court, this might look like battling through an injury, playing a role you didn’t want, or even sitting on the bench when you hoped to start. Off the field, it could be dealing with anxiety, doubt, or a personal struggle. Instead of letting those weaknesses define you, invite God and others into them.

When you recognize your limits and admit them to yourself and your community, you learn dependence. And dependence on God is the foundation of true identity. Athletes who rely solely on their own strength may succeed for a season, but when setbacks come, their foundation crumbles.

As an athlete, your worth isn’t in being the strongest, fastest, or best. Your worth is in belonging to the One who is all-powerful. And one of the ways we can let Him prove His power in and through our lives is to bring our weakness to Him and ask for help.

The result is often something beautiful: Our weakness leads to something far greater than a trophy—it becomes testimony to the strength of God.

Question to Consider: Where do you feel weak as an athlete, and how could God’s strength be revealed through that weakness?