Bulgarian lifeguard Yane Petkov won a world record for swimming with his hands and feet tied together. He swam 3,380 meters through the water but added something to intensify the challenge—he wrapped his body in a sack.

The patience and strength required to keep moving despite being so “tied up” amazes me. The apostle Paul also displayed rugged resistance to obstacles as he served God in the days of the early church. Despite facing fatigue, hunger, sleeplessness, and beatings, Paul continued to preach and write letters of encouragement and instruction to his fellow believers.

Paul penned his last letter to Timothy when he was isolated in a Roman prison, awaiting execution. Although shackles restricted his body, he noted that the good news could not be “chained” (2 Timothy 2:9). “Therefore,” Paul said, “I endure everything” to give others the chance to hear and accept the truth about Jesus Christ (v. 10).

God can help us endure any kind of difficulty that stands in the way of serving Him. Physical limitations such as illness, injuries, and disabilities require care and attention, but they can’t ultimately surpass God’s power, which is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let’s give God the glory when He works through us to do things we cannot do on our own.