When Progress Hits a Wall
110 pounds. That was my bench press PR in January—a number I’d worked toward for months, celebrating each two and a half pound increment like a small victory. I was riding high, feeling strong, making plans for 112.5, then 115. I thanked God for the strength He’d given me and felt so grateful for this season of progress.
Then my body had other ideas—or rather, God had other plans.
A rib muscle strain behind my right breast that started as a whisper became a shout over the course of a couple of weeks. I could no longer hope it would just go away on its own. Every deep breath or normal movement reminded me that something was wrong. Sneezing became an event I dreaded. Overhead pressing? Completely off the table. In those first painful weeks, I found myself crying out to God, asking, “Why now, Lord? Just when things were going so well?”
At 55, I’ve learned that setbacks aren’t just about the gym—they’re about life. God has a way of saying, “Hold up,” just when we think we’ve got it all figured out.
The Hard Truth About Setbacks
The disappointment was real. These days, I’ve been learning to take everything I’m feeling—about any and everything—straight to Jesus, just like you’d do with your best friend. Because He is my best friend. So during my prayer times, I talked to Him about having to dial back to weights I’d conquered long ago, about the crushing reality of watching years of progress seemingly evaporate. I spoke honestly about the disappointment of those lighter bench press loads, each session a humbling reminder of where I used to be and how I have to be very careful because that injury is tricky. If I bench too heavy, or do too many reps, I could end up messing up my progress.
But here’s what God helped to learn: a pause isn’t a full stop- sometimes slow and steady while healing is good. It’s still progress.
My deadlift told a similar story a few weeks later in February. 240 pounds—another exciting and hard-earned milestone—was immediately followed by a back strain that sent me to rehabilitation mode. Last week, I lifted a set of 5 at 205 pounds, and you know what? I’m proud of that 205-pound set. I lifted that 205 easily with no pain. I’m so thankful to God for the knowledge and guidance of my fabulous coach. She helped me see what went wrong at 240—a mistake I won’t repeat. God provides resources and help in so many ways, and even though I have no lower back pain right now, I’m still being careful, continuing with specific lower back warm-ups before every lifting session. Seeking God’s wisdom means doing things differently than I did previously.
Strength in Flexibility
This is where faith meets practical wisdom. Faith doesn’t mean I pretend injuries don’t exist or push through pain because “God will protect me.” Real faith means I trust His process even when it looks different from what I planned. It means I show up to the gym after seeking His guidance in prayer, even when “showing up” looks like lighter weights and careful movements.
The Lord reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP): “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and peace and not for calamity, to give you hope and a future.” God’s plans for us include setbacks that teach us wisdom, not just smooth sailing that builds pride.
I’ve had to redefine what progress means through prayer and seeking God’s heart. Progress isn’t always adding more weight to the bar. Sometimes progress is:
- Learning to listen to my body as God’s temple before it has to shout
- Choosing rehabilitation over rushing back—trusting God’s timing
- Finding strength in patience, not just in pounds—the kind of patience that only comes from Him
- Staying consistent even when consistency looks different—following His lead daily
🌸🌸 Have you had to modify your approach to something important lately? Take a moment to journal about your pivot, then tell me about it in the comments.🌸🌸
The Power of the Pivot
God has been teaching me that just because I’m not where I was doesn’t mean I’m not strong. My 80-pound bench press last week, performed with careful attention to form and body awareness, represents more wisdom and dependence on Him than my 110-pound PR ever did.
A modified plan bathed in prayer is still a plan moving me forward. When life hands you detours—and it will—you don’t have to abandon the journey. You seek God’s face and adjust to the route He shows you.
Maybe your setback isn’t physical. It could be a career pivot at an unexpected age, a relationship that didn’t work out like you wanted, or a dream that needs reshaping. The principle remains: modification isn’t defeat when it’s guided by the Holy Spirit. It’s His plan and will for your life that will prevail.
Moving Through, Not Around
Six months later, I’m still not doing any kind of overhead pressing, and I’ve made peace with that through prayer. I’m still working my way back to those numbers that once felt routine, and I trust God’s timing completely. I’m making progress while healing—especially while healing—and that’s precisely where God wants me.
This is resilience with Godly wisdom. It’s acknowledging disappointment without losing hope in Him. It’s understanding that strength isn’t just about what you can lift but how you adapt when God asks you to lift differently.
James 1:2-3 (AMP) speaks directly to this: “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].” These setbacks aren’t punishments—they’re refinement from a loving Father.
If I don’t bench press carefully and deliberately, that rib reminds me that it’s not healed yet, and my lower back still requires attention and respect. These are all reminders to seek God’s wisdom daily. But I’m not sitting on the sidelines waiting to be “all better” before I engage with life again. I’m participating in my own recovery, making choices that honor both the goals God’s placed in my heart and the limitations He’s allowed for my growth.
The Long Game
At 55, I understand something I couldn’t grasp at 25: God’s long game matters more than my quick wins. His sustainability beats my intensity, and His wisdom beats my stubbornness every time.
Your setback season isn’t wasted time in God’s economy—it’s preparation time. You’re learning things about persistence, adaptation, and grace under pressure that you can’t learn any other way. You’re building different muscles now: the muscle of patience, the muscle of Godly wisdom, the muscle that knows when to push and when to pause—all under His loving guidance.
So, whether you’re rehabbing an injury, rebuilding after a loss, or recalibrating your dreams, remember this: you’re not defeated in God’s eyes. You’re being lovingly modified by His hand. And modification, when guided by His wisdom and seasoned with faith, isn’t a step backward.
It’s His strategy, His growth plan, the difference between being strong in your own power and wise in His.
🌸🌸 What area of your life needs a ‘modified, not defeated’ mindset right now? Journal about it first, then share your thoughts below, and let’s walk this faith journey together.🌸🌸
And at 55, I’m choosing His wisdom over my own strength.
Remember, life is a faith journey. Walk boldly.
