Big Picture

Spiritual Essential: Suffering

Reading: Romans 8:18-25

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Over the years I’ve been coaching, I’ve noticed a habit many of my athletes developed. Actually, it’s more of an obsession. An obsession with data. I sort of want to blame Whoop and all the other wearable, sharable, parable companies out there. Because these little devices can become demonic. Now I’m not saying the devil resides in your wearable, but have you ever heard the phrase, “the devil is in the details?”

I don’t want to over-spiritualize this, so let me make my point and move on. Sleep scores, resting heart rates, heart rate variability, steps per day, strain scores, macros, water consumption, thermogenic calories, calories from exercise, you see where I’m going. And class after class, athletes would either tout these or torch them. Thus giving rise to a two-word mantra that is as true today as it was when God spoke it to me – big picture.

Big picture. In the grand scheme of life is this data point in your fitness journey that relevant? Probably not. Think it about like reps in the gym. Fitness is always on the other side of a rep. A lift, a high intensity workout, an interval session, these are where fitness is found. But guess what? You don’t know which rep actually leads to more fitness.

Because they all do. I call it stacking reps. Of course you’re gonna have off days. And your resting heart rate or whatever metric you’re using to determine your recovery, it may be out of whack. But if you wake up every day and all that matters are some numbers in an app, you’re gonna miss the most important number of all, and that’s consistent training days with enough intensity to produce suffering.

The same is true in your spiritual life. Only you don’t get to control the intensity and suffering in life – God does. But have you ever obsessed over the actual suffering or intensity so much that you missed the whole point of why God allowed it? God uses pain and trials to refine us and deepen our dependence on Him. And one of the things suffering can strengthen is our hope.

Like the hope you can press on. Trials are where faith is forged and you learn that hope in Jesus is the only hope that matters. Or the hope that you’re changing, that you’re becoming more like Him. Scripture says that we are made in His image but that we are also being conformed into His image. Trusting the process means not obsessing just because you don’t feel more peace or joy or love. God’s working even when you can’t see it.

I’m glad there’s not a wearable for our spiritual life. You don’t need a piece of software to tell you if today is a good day to have a deep and meaningful encounter with God – because every day is! Just keep stacking your spiritual reps. Trust God with today’s suffering. Leave tomorrow’s metrics to Him. And keep your eyes on the big picture.

Questions for Reflection:

What hope is being strengthened in you right now?

What spiritual “metrics” do you obsess over instead of simply walking faithfully with Jesus?