As one of the top players in the NBA, the LA Clippers are counting on Paul George to make a deep run in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he injured his toe, and although he has returned to the court, he’s having to play through pain.
Despite the soreness of his injury, Paul George has changed how he initially viewed this difficult situation.
Matt Eppers of USA Today writes, “Paul George said his nagging toe injury was becoming an “excuse” for subpar play. With a change in his thinking, George is on a tear despite the injury.”
The headline for the article put it this way: “Paul George On a Tear After Ditching ‘Excuse’ for Poor Playing and is Helping Carry Clippers.”
Paul George explains, “The injury allowed me to kind of make an excuse for myself. But then when I put it in perspective, if I’m going to play, then why not just give it my all and put that to the side.”
“That was the mindset I came in with, just to play through it, and if I’m going to play, don’t let it limit me. I feel like I’ve had a breakthrough because of that mindset. I’ve been good.”
George has put up at least 30 points in the last four games he’s played and the Clippers have now won seven games in a row.
ESPN.com’s headline reads “Paul George Credits New Perspective on Troublesome Toe for ‘Breakthrough’ as LA Clippers Stretch Win Streak.”
ESPN writer Ohm Youngmisuk adds, “The guard has not only learned how to manage and play with the toe issue, he is thriving again, having won Western Conference Player of the Week honors.”
As we read this today, how many of us would like to start thriving again, experience a breakthrough, or go on a winning streak?
What if we ditched our excuses, stopped justifying our “poor play,” and changed our mindset?
What if we had a new perspective on our nagging “injury” and changed the way we approach our problems, inconveniences, and setbacks?
The challenge we all face is to stop using an “injury” as the reason why we aren’t joyful, growing, serving, loving, pursuing purpose, or following Jesus.
This last year of the pandemic has been a built-in excuse (sometimes a legitimate reason) for not doing certain things and living a “subpar” life. As a result, it’s caused us to stop thriving.
Of course, we want to continue to be safe, but like Paul George having to play through the “soreness,” we have to keep living despite the pain.
We live in such a broken world and all of us have an injured toe or something even worse. But it all comes down to our perspective and mindset on whether or not we’ll thrive during the challenge or make excuses for why we’re limiting ourselves from experiencing God and all He has for us.
As we look to the Bible in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul writes about being given a “thorn in the flesh” that tormented, bothered, and hurt him, but ultimately was there to keep him humble and dependent on Jesus.
In verses 8-10 he says, “Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; but He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.
“Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].”
Today, let’s change our thoughts about our own “toe injury” or “thorn in our flesh” and remember we can drop the excuses and thrive despite our weaknesses. We can “play” through our pain because Jesus gives us His strength and power for a breakthrough.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
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In what ways do you need to change your mindset about an injury you’re facing?
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What excuses have you been using for why you aren’t thriving?
