Suffer Well
Warrior in training. Servant at heart.
Each week we choose a verse to focus on throughout my training. Here is this weeks:
Hebrews 12:1
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
As an athlete, I prioritize sleep as if it were a cheat code to becoming the athlete I want to be. Last night was no different I went to bed excited and ready to attack the day. I woke up like a child on Christmas morning, eager to unwrap the gift of a new day. This training block is an opportunity to practice surrendering everything to God.
Yet as I embark on this journey, I feel pulled to do more to chase after other things in the name of “helping others,” though deep down I know it’s often just my ego craving attention. That pull is the devil trying to distract me from my true goal: to glorify God with all my heart.
The verse above reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses those who have gone before us in faith. Noah, Abraham, Jesus, and countless others laid the foundation for us to follow. And the command is simple: run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Love God. Love your neighbor. We’re the ones who make it complicated.
Matthew 22:37–40
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In training, I’ve been searching for the great separator. But really, it comes down to two things: hard work and consistency. Simple. We distract ourselves with complexities when the truth is this: do the simple, hard things every day, over and over.
Human nature pulls us toward the shiny and the distracting, like a raccoon chasing something that catches its eye. What distractions in your life are pulling you away from loving God and loving your neighbor?
It’s easy to get caught up in the affairs of this world, but much harder to stay focused on God and our own growth in Him. I challenge you to monitor yourself. Take note of the times the devil is pulling you toward distractions. What if, instead, we poured our attention into loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves? Imagine the difference. Get off your phone. Look up!
Here is my plan:
I am choosing to be like a train. The tracks are set, leading to my Father in heaven. The devil may throw shiny distractions along the way, but I will fight with my Bible in hand, ready for his attacks. Hell is the absence of God. Heaven is His presence. Where will you stand?
The shiny things of this world social media, idols, distractions, instant gratification, and perhaps the devil’s favorite weapon, comfort. Seek discomfort. Depend on God. Comfort feeds pride and ego; surrender builds faith. This is my daily battle. Every morning I pray for God to soften my heart and help me lean on Him. Throughout the day, when distractions come, I practice surrendering again and again.
Suffer well.
As athletes, we are called to be warriors in training disciplined, resilient, and steadfast, yet always servants at heart. True victory is not found in standing above others on a podium, but in lifting others up and glorifying God through how we run the race.