Hitting a Wall: When Life Feels Like a Marathon

I had an interesting meeting with a coaching client this week that I want to tell you about.

I asked my coaching client, “What is the number one issue that you would like to get help you with?" His response was, "I have just absolutely hit a wall in my career.” We have all used that phrase “I’ve just hit a wall.” Sometimes we use it at the end of a day when we have completely lost our energy, and in certain circumstances it can become a synonym for giving up. I suspect that it is somewhat the circumstance for my client. He has had a tremendously successful career, but it may feel like a halftime in a football game. For him, it's time to make halftime adjustments.

Hitting the wall is a phrase commonly used by marathon runners, too. In a marathon, it happens about 20 miles into the race (77% of the way!). As a former marathon runner, I noticed a dramatic drop in energy and motivation at that point. However, I knew that if I fought through it, there was this rush of endorphins in my body that would pull me through the entire race.

As human beings we don’t have endless reserves of energy—physically, emotionally or spiritually. When our resources are drained, we reach a point of exhaustion. In Scripture we read about Moses hitting the wall and crying out to God saying, “I am not able to bear all these people alone.”

So, where can we go when we are weary and worn out? How do we respond when the pressure of our work, which should bring us joy, is debilitating? My client desperately wants to finish the race, but he has hit a wall. I understand, and I have been there myself—not just in a race, but in the marathon of life.

But we are certainly not alone. Over the years I have coached and consulted with many leaders that found themselves in this same position. And I have read about many leaders including spiritual leaders. At some point almost everyone hits the wall. We all experience moments when we feel like giving up. But scripture tells us, “For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God, I can leap over a wall.”

But we have to keep coming back to the realization that we are not trying to live a life on our own or do any work that belongs to us. Everything we do should be done for God’s glory. I think that sometimes when we hit a wall—it is because God wants to redirect us? Scripture says, "Behold I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness.”

I have a friend who stepped away from a leadership role that he had held for decades. When he stepped away, he felt increasingly disenfranchised and no longer needed. He hit an emotional and spiritual wall… until he stumbled across the above words of scripture. And suddenly he realized that his moment of exasperation was God’s moment of recalibration. What he thought was closure actually became a door opener to a second career. As he said, I discovered that God wanted to renew my energy, restore my soul and redirect my footsteps. Incidentally, his footsteps were redirected during his morning “run” from his home down to his favorite part of the waterfront. God does have a sense of humor! That morning, before the run, he had prayed, “God, I am trusting you to make a way."

When we take that approach, we discover that the wall becomes a win. Instead of continuing to do the same things and hitting the wall repeatedly in exhaustion, we learn that God has his own plan for us. He has His own way of blessing us and our labors. Moses exhaustion led to the appointment of 70 elders to assist him. Elijah collapse led to restoration and gaining his successor Elisha. There are rewards to remain strong in the Lord even when we have lost every bit of strength. So, we wait on him. He renews our strength and as we ask him for guidance, He redirects our steps. King David faced walls of danger, betrayal and despair. Elijah sat under a tree wishing to die. Yet God carried them through.

My client feels emotionally exhausted, physically drained and mentally overwhelmed. He can’t imagine taking another step. But the God who enabled David to leap over a wall still strengthens weary believers today. So, I asked him if he believes in God. He said, "Absolutely. I am a believer."

I told him, “Your wall is not the end of your story. God specializes in making ways through impossible places. He still opens seas, levels mountains, breaks chains, defeats strongholds, and creates paths in the wilderness. He did for me." He said, "Yes, I know, I heard your story—that's why I called you." God can overcome any obstacle we face. So, we must not lose heart in front of our un-welcomed wall. Instead of giving up, we need to trust His "wall-to-wall grace."

I asked my client, "What are three steps that you can take this next week?” His answer was “First, I am going to pray for God to show me the way." Then he continued, "I have been thinking about some ideas for new ventures for many years now. I just haven’t had the courage to jump into them. But lately, I am thinking that I am in a position to make it happen financially and emotionally. Until now, I had built a wall around myself, but now, I feel it coming down."

I said, "Great that is a huge step, but what is next? Because in life, you are often encouraged to dream big. But what happens when you have several dreams? I firmly believe our time here is way too short to wait until the end of the race and wonder, what if I tried that?"

He said, “I am going to list my big dreams for you."

I said, "Great! Step two. What is step three?"

He responded, “I will give you my plusses and minuses for each dream.”

I said, “Sounds like you are ready for the last part of your marathon.”

And he said, "Absolutely! Let’s go!" (The endorphins have hit!)