Hard days make you better?

For you need perseverance so that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36 TLV

…we have to be willing to endure some tough love sometimes.

The first part of today went like this: got up, got coffee, pooped, got the Word and worship and prayer, got exercise.

The exercise today almost broke me. It was rough and I’m not ashamed to say that at one point my jaw was quivering. Not from physical pain, of which there was plenty, but because in that pain and struggle to keep going, He showed up, told me who I was, shot some holy adrenaline into my veins, and I just started to lose it a little. In a good way, because in that moment it was exactly what I needed and my Savior came through. I don’t deserve it, can’t earn it, but He does it.

See, I’m 49 years old. I spent the better part of my adult life doing what I wanted (not exercising) and eating what I wanted (crap). There was the occasional flirtation with healthiness, but it never stuck cause I was never prone to being overweight more than 20 pounds or so, and I’m 6’3”, so there’s plenty of places for the weight to hide.

But now? Ha, now my body hates me, the bastard. This flesh ruled me for too long, and now I spend at least 5 mornings a week beating the crap out of it. I also don’t often feed it what it wants, either. Do I sometimes want a Reese’s, or cookies, or greasy tacos? Yep. But if I give one inch, then it could all be over. Right now, I give myself about 2 to 3 meals a week to eat good, the rest it’s smoothies and chicken and rice and broccoli. It sucks, but I’m the only one to blame.

It was 3 or so years ago that I went to the doctor for a bug, one where you know you’ll need antibiotics to get over. To my surprise, my normally just fine blood pressure was high. Short story, they gave me blood pressure medication, I took it, it killed my sex drive, I went back, they said “Oh, we have pills for that too”, and I said “Go to hell”, then went and asked God what to do. He told me, and now my blood pressure is fine without pills, my resting heart rate is down in the 50’s after being in the 70’s most of my life, and I actually like to run up stairs again like when I was a kid. You show me some stairs, and I’m gone. Last time I had blood work done, the doctor was jealous, said it was perfect in every area.

Why am I writing about this? It ain’t to brag on me. If I had my way, I’d be living off Cherry Coke, Chili Cheese Fritos, and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. But that is not what we were made to survive off of. Is it ok to indulge every once in a while? Sure it is. But if you’re like me, you find yourself afraid of those “once in a while’s” cause you know where they can lead; you know not to trust you. Specifically, you know not to trust your flesh, cause it’s a bastard and will betray you in a heartbeat if given the slightest opportunity.

This is why all the credit here goes to Him. Jesus keeps me on this path by constantly reminding me that my body is not my own. It is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I better take care of it, keep it in order, keep it clean, or else He might come for a visit and start flipping tables, bring that whip he made a couple of millennia ago. Now, you may be thinking “man, Jesus seems like a mean dude”. Or, you may be getting ready to say “Jason, you’re view of God is all out of whack. He’s not mean like that. He’s loving and kind”. And you’d be right, partially.

Here’s the thing. Jesus is always with me, all day. Especially when I’m working out. He’s encouraging, uplifting, and pressing me to go beyond what I think I can do. Jesus chases away the fear. He speaks against the doubt that I can finish this ride or this row. When the enemy comes, suggesting I give up, telling me that the pain in my knee is not going away and I better stop or I’ll injure myself, telling me I’m an idiot or fool for thinking I could this, Jesus makes his presence felt. He takes on the Lion of Judah presence and starts roaring. Then I start roaring. Then my wife starts rolling her eyes and questioning the last 30 years of her life…

So He gets the credit, and He gets the right to be tough with me when He senses toughness is what I need. I am a man after all, He made me to be able to handle some tough love when required. And it’s the reminder of what we (Jesus and me) are fighting for, what He died for, that allows for that. Perseverance, endurance, toughness…these things are not bought easily. Men would do well to be reminded of this. They would do well to embrace it. They would do well to submit to being taught it.

The day did not get any easier from then on. Exercised, showered, dressed and ready to go, work and wife and church were all in need, the day was going to be a late one, a long one. But He was there, reminding me of how tough He is making me. That I’m being molded to be like him; Son of God teaching a son of God. That hard workouts and hard days do indeed make you better.



It’s a great time to be alive, and I thank you Jesus. Thank you thank you thank you.

Be blessed, be strong…Jason.

Ancient Path Counseling

We’ve walked the path. We know the struggle and the work. We know freedom.