Train through the Pain
by Katie Harding on January 24, 2022
When our son-in-law left with his medical reserve unit to administer COVID testing in April of 2020, our daughter, who was home with three young kids, began biking on his Peloton as an outlet for her energy. Before long, she discovered her sport, and now two years later, she has a coach from Brazil and is training for her first World’s Duathlon Competition (run, bike, run). She’s crazy strong. My biking speed is about 2 1/2 mph, compared to hers at 20. Yesterday she ran 15 miles on a treadmill. All this has happened over the past two years because of one thing: intentional training. And the harder the workout, the stronger she gets because she is willing to train through the pain.
And so it was with the Apostle Paul. How do you think he became a man of such spiritual strength? By hanging in there and learning to endure through the difficulties he suffered. Paul didn’t give up and he didn’t give in. Instead, he persevered while strengthening his faith and maintaining his peace, and then he taught others to do the same. He was always coaching others to learn to suffer well. (As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I am not referring to suffering related to trauma or loss, but the suffering we experience through the challenges of our day-to-day relationships.)
If we want to learn how to grow in endurance and perseverance while strengthening our faith and maintaining our peace, let us look to “Coach Paul” for some intentional training. In his letter to the Philippians he lays out seven practical steps to help us learn how to train through the pain. “For he [God] has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well…” (Phil 1:29).
1. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ.” — Jesus modeled a life of humility. Let us humble ourselves before God in obedience and before others by looking out for their interests as well. Let us unite with others in Spirit and purpose. (Phil. 2:1-8)
2. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” — God is at work in us, so let us move forward in the face of fear “without murmuring or arguing,” and let the light of God’s presence shine through all we do. (Phil. 2:12-14)
3. “Rejoice in the Lord.” — Let us not be intimidated by others or put confidence in ourselves. The value of knowing Christ can give us greater gains than this world can ever offer. (Phil. 3:1-11)
4. “Forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.” — We’re not going to always get it right, but we can let go of the mistakes we’ve made, and plan to do it better next time. Don’t look back, but let us run forward with Christ as our goal. (Phil. 3:12-16)
5. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” — When our minds start to worry, let us train them to stop and pray instead. Let us rejoice in the Lord regardless of our circumstances, and let others experience the gentle presence of Christ in us. (Phil. 4:4-7)
6. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right…dwell on these things.” — Let us learn to put boundaries around our thoughts, and when the enemy tries to distract us with lies, let us counter with God’s truth. Ask ourselves what is actually true and right in the moment, and let us refocus our minds on those things. (Phil. 4:8)
7. “Do all things through Him [Christ]...” — Let us trust in the power of the Spirit within to enable us to do what we need to do when we need to do it. Let us draw strength from Christ in whatever situation we find ourselves. (Phil. 4:10-14)
A good coach will always have the goal in mind in everything he does, and Paul is no different. He told the Philippians: “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me [as I have imitated Christ], practice these things [train through the pain]; and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9).