This post is part of a series. If you haven’t yet read “A Journey to Health: An Invitation to Walk Through the “Fair” Differently,” you may want to start there. Click the link below to get a better understanding of where we’re headed with this series.
The fair and sweat tend to go hand in hand. Our county fair follows Labor Day each September, and that week is typically hot and muggy. Between the steamy temperature and all the steps we take, we usually leave the fair looking bedraggled and smelling like the Amish.
A sweaty day at the fair reminds me of workouts where sweat is the natural outpouring of physical effort. Back in my CrossFit days, we’d collapse onto the mat after a brutal workout and joke about making “sweat angels.”
When I was preparing for Rim to Him, my 16-hour Rim-to-Rim-in-one-day Grand Canyon adventure in 2023, I spent hours each week hiking straight hills—up and down, over and over—for four to eight hours at a time. I’d come home absolutely dripping in sweat.
More recently, I’ve been enjoying a step aerobics class twice a week. I come out of class glistening, flushed, and reaching for a towel to wipe off.
Different workouts, different seasons of life, but the same familiar reminder: my body is capable of working hard, and sweat is often the natural outpouring of that effort.
When beads of sweat are making pathways down my spine and across my forehead, it means I’ve worked hard enough that my body is trying to cool itself down.
Sometimes I exercise and don’t break a sweat, and I don’t want to discount those workouts. They have immense value, too.
Some people are simply more prone to sweat than others, and some environments naturally make us sweat more. A hot, humid workout can leave you drenched, while a brisk walk on a cool morning might not produce much sweat at all.
So hear me when I say this: sweat should never be the qualifier for a good workout or a worthwhile time of movement.
Movement can strengthen your muscles, support your heart, improve your mobility, lift your mood, reduce stress, and help you care for the body God has given you—even when your shirt stays completely dry.
Don’t let the absence of sweat convince you that your movement didn’t count. It did.
But there is something not only physically satisfying about sweating, but also mentally encouraging. I love knowing that I’m actively working toward my goals and my body is responding to the effort I’m putting in. The sweat becomes a tangible reminder that I showed up, moved my body, and did something good for myself.
Healthy living often requires us to leave our comfort zones. Discomfort can be our friend. One of my favorite phrases in this regard is, “I can do hard things.”
And the truth is, if my middle-aged body is going to regain health, I am going to have to do hard things—things that make me uncomfortable, challenge me, and maybe even make me break a sweat.
Moving my body in ways that require effort and focus challenges me not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Physical training engages my whole self. I love that the Apostle Paul uses athletic training as a picture of the Christian life.
An athlete doesn’t become stronger by always choosing the easy path. Training requires discipline, self-control, perseverance, and a willingness to embrace discomfort for the sake of a greater prize.
Our spiritual walk is much the same. Doing things God’s way is often uncomfortable because it isn’t always what our flesh wants. Our flesh wants the easy button. Our flesh wants to coast. Our flesh wants what feels good now rather than what is ultimately good for us.
Dying to self and putting the flesh to death requires us to keep our eyes on the prize. Physically, that prize might be finishing a race, gaining strength, dropping a dress size, or simply feeling better in our own skin. Those things have value, but they are temporary.
Spiritually, the prize is infinitely greater. Paul reminds us that athletes train for a perishable wreath, but we pursue an imperishable one. The temporary rewards of physical training can motivate us, but they can also point us toward something far more lasting: faithfully following Christ and becoming more like Him.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
—1 Corinthians 9:24–27
Athletic competitions were a significant part of Greek and Roman culture. Corinth was near the site of the Isthmian Games, one of the major athletic festivals of the ancient world. Victors received wreaths made from plants rather than golden crowns.
It’s as if Paul is telling his readers, “Think about an athlete who wants to win.” Think about all the training, self-control, discomfort, sacrifice, and perseverance required to pursue a temporary prize—a crown made from leaves that will eventually wither and fade.
I love that Paul contrasts this temporary crown with something that will never fade. He calls us to consider what we are pursuing as followers of Christ. What are we willing to endure? What are we willing to sacrifice? Where are we willing to practice self-control and choose discomfort because we know the prize is worth it?
The athlete trains for a perishable wreath. We pursue an imperishable one.
If crowns can symbolize achievement, accomplishment, honor, and glory, then Revelation 4:10 gives us a beautiful picture of the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before the throne of God. It’s a picture of submission and worship before King Jesus. I don’t know if we’ll get to cast crowns at Jesus’ feet, but I love the symbolism. Whatever we accomplish, whatever rewards we receive, whatever good comes from our efforts, we ultimately give our very best back to Him.
Whatever reward we receive, whether physical or spiritual, ultimately belongs to Christ, and our glory should always point back to Him.
When I push my body to do hard things, I’m “in training”—purposefully entering discomfort for a greater good. I’m so thankful that God has given me a body that can move through the world. I’m grateful that I get to practice saying “no” to the flesh, and that I’m not alone as I walk through the hard things in this life. Those very things are building my character and drawing me closer to God when I seek Him in the process.
Next Steps: Doing Hard Things
SPIRITUAL
We looked at the idea of crowns in the Bible in this blog post. Take some time to explore these passages and the imagery of crowns throughout the New Testament.
- The Imperishable Crown—1 Corinthians 9:24-28
- The Crown of Life—James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10
- The Crown of Righteousness—2 Timothy 4:8
- The Crown of Glory—1 Peter 5:4
- The Crown of Rejoicing—1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 and Philippians 4:1
- Casting Crowns—The 24 elders who cast their crowns before the Lord Revelation 4:10
PHYSICAL
What activity could you do this week that gets you moving and maybe even a little sweaty?
Here are a few creative ideas beyond the typical things we normally think of like walking or running, doing a class, or going to the gym:
- Hiking, especially hills
- Bike riding
- Pickleball
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Mowing the lawn
- Dancing in your kitchen
- Roller skating
- Playing tag with kids or grandkids
- Volleyball
- Frisbee
- Kayaking, paddleboarding, or canoeing
- Chasing a dog around the yard 😂
MENTAL
What beliefs about exercise or discomfort need to change? List out any beliefs or attitudes that don’t support the lifestyle that you want to have and reframe them.
Example: I don’t have time to exercise.
Reframed new attitude: I can look for small opportunities to move throughout my day. Movement doesn’t have to happen in a one-hour block at the gym.
EMOTIONAL
Ask God what you’re avoiding.
Sometimes we avoid movement because it’s uncomfortable. But sometimes we avoid other uncomfortable things in our lives, too.
While you’re moving, ask God, “What discomfort am I avoiding? Is there something You are inviting me to face rather than flee?”
Spend some time in prayer and reflective journaling with what God reveals.
RELATIONAL
Grab your spouse, your kids, or a friend and get your sweat on! It’s more fun to do life together.
Leave a comment