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Pushing Through the Pain of Change

Growth can be painful. It means getting out of your comfort zone. It means getting inconvenienced. But if you don’t grow, you don’t change. And if you don’t change, you stay stuck. 

The Bible talks about how we start off in our spiritual journey as babies living on milk, but we must grow up so we can eat solid food. Pain, for the most part, is not our enemy. It’s a sign of growth. It’s evidence of maturity. 

There were times when I was running drills for football that I’d think my legs were going to explode. It was tempting to give in to the pain and quit. But I remember thinking, It’s okay. I’d rather run around this stadium with my legs on fire and be the first one to finish. 

Here’s the thing: Striving for something and living a life of significance doesn’t always feel good. You often have to do the hard things to get to where you need to go. My goal in life is not to be comfortable. It’s to push my limits. It’s to fight for something, no matter the cost. 

I remember playing with the Broncos against the Patriots the night in January 2012 when the windchill fell below zero. We were getting slaughtered by New England. Shortly into the third quarter, we were down 42–7. I’ll never forget getting tackled and hitting the ground, crushed by the weight of five or six Patriots piling on top of me. On impact, I felt my chest snap. I’d find out later I had broken multiple bones in my chest that were connected to my sternum. When I got up, the pain was excruciating. But it’s not just about showing up when you’re winning. It’s about rallying when you’re getting blown out and there is no probable chance of a comeback. I played the rest of the game. Every single snap. I was determined to stick it out and fight. 

You don’t need to break bones to push through pain. Sometimes it’s just about getting uncomfortable to do what’s right or what matters. I never set out to work the hardest in whatever I did. I just never wanted to regret not being the best I could be by not giving it my all. 

What pain or discomfort do you need to push through today so you don’t regret not giving it your all?